Chapter 54 Chapter 53: Jon

"This is Orser," announced Sir Jeremy Lake, "unmistakable. The other is Geoff Flowers." He turned the body on his feet, pale and blue eyes wide open. Staring at the cloudy sky. "Both of them are Ben Stark's men." They belong to his uncle, Jon thought dully.He remembered how he had begged to go with them.Gods bless, I really am a childish child.If uncle brought me, maybe I would lie here instead... Jeff's right arm was bitten off by Bai Lingqi's wrist, leaving only a bloody mess at the end.His right palm was now in Maester Aemon's tower, suspended in the vinegar jar.As for his left palm, although it still fit neatly into his arm, it was as black as his cloak.

"The gods are merciful." Old Xiong murmured.He jumped off the plow horse and handed the reins to Jon.It was an unusually warm morning, and the commander of the Night's Watch was beaded with sweat, like dew on the surface of a melon, across his broad brow.His mount was cramped, rolling his eyes and tugging on the reins, trying to back away from the dead man.Jon led it away a few steps, trying not to let it break free and run.The horses didn't like the feel of the place, and then Jon didn't like it either. The dogs hated it even more.Ghost had led the pack here, and the whole pack of hounds was useless.Beth the Beastmaster had tried to smell the severed hand to them before so that they could remember the scent, but the dogs went berserk, barking and barking, desperately trying to get away.Even now they growled and whined, tugging on the leash, and Chett cursed at it.

It was only a forest, and all the dogs smelled was corpses, Jon told himself.He just saw the dead... Just last night, he had that Winterfell dream again.In the dream he roamed the empty castle, looking for his father, and finally descended the stairs into the crypt.But this time the dream didn't end there.In the darkness, he heard the sound of stones scraping, turned around suddenly, and saw the tombs opened one by one, and the long-dead kings staggered out of the cold and dark graves.Jon woke up suddenly, in the darkness all around, his heart beating wildly.Even Bai Ling jumped on the bed and rubbed his face with his mouth, which could not alleviate the deep fear in his heart.He didn't dare to sleep any more, so he got up and climbed the Great Wall, and walked restlessly until the first dawn in the east.It was only a dream, and now I am a member of the Night's Watch, not a frightened child anymore.

Samwell Tarly crouched under a tree, half hidden behind the horses.His chubby face was the color of rancid milk.Although he did not escape into the forest to vomit and diarrhea, he did not look directly at the dead body. "I dare not look." He whispered pitifully. "You can't help looking," Jon told him, keeping his voice low so no one else could hear him. "Didn't Master Aemon send you to be his eyes? If the eyes are closed, what's the use?" "That's what you say, but...Jon, I'm such a coward." Jon put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "We've got a dozen rangers with us, and a pack of hounds, and even Ghost. No one can hurt you, Sam. Go and see, the first sight is always the hardest."

Sam nodded tremblingly, with an obvious effort to gather courage, and turned his head slowly.His eyes went wide, but Jon took his hand and wouldn't let him look away. "Ser Jeremy," the old bear asked angrily, "Ben Stark took six people with him from the Great Wall. Where did the others go?" Sir Jeremy shook his head. "If only I knew." Mormont was clearly displeased with the answer. "Two brothers were murdered almost within the sight of the Great Wall, but your rangers didn't hear or see anything. Could it be that the night watchmen are so lazy? Did we send people to sweep the forest? ?”

"Of course there is, my lord, but—" "Have we sent anyone on horseback to patrol?" "Yes, but—" "This fellow has a hunting horn on him," said Mormont, pointing at Osher. "Do you want me to believe he didn't even blow a sound before he died? Or is your ranger not only blind but deaf too?" ?” Ser Jeremy's hair stood on end with rage, his face scowling. "My lord, no one is blowing the horn, or my rangers will surely hear it. There are not enough men now to patrol as carefully as I intend... Besides, since Bunyan disappeared, we have shortened the range of patrols and are closer to the Wall than before. ——This is an order from your lord yourself."

Old Xiong muttered: "Oh, yes. Forget it then." He waved his hand impatiently. "Tell me how they died." Ser Jeremy knelt down beside Geoff Flowers, scratching his scalp and taking his head.The strands of hair fell from his fingers, crisp as straw.The knight cursed, reached out and turned his face over.There was a deep wound on the neck on the other side of the corpse, like a big mouth, filled with dried blood clots.Only a few tendons remain between the head and neck. "He was killed with an axe." "That's right," the old forest officer Devon murmured, "my lord, I said it's the ax Oser used to use on a daily basis."

Jon could feel his breakfast churning in his stomach, but he forced his lips together, forcing himself to look at the second body.Oser was a tall and ugly man when he was alive, and his body was also big and ugly after death.But there was no sign of the ax around.Jon remembered Orther; he was the one who sang the cheesy ditties before he set off.Looks like his singing days are over.His hands were as completely black as Jeff's.The wound covered the whole body like a rash, from the lower body to the chest to the throat, no one was spared, and it was decorated with dried and cracked blood flowers.His eyes remained open, sapphire beads staring skyward.

Ser Jeremy stood up. "The wildlings have axes too." Mormont said to him defiantly, "In your opinion, it was Mance Rayder's doing? So close to the Wall?" "My lord, who else is there?" Even Jon could tell the answer.Not only he knows, everyone knows it, but no one wants to say it.The White Walkers are just stories, legends used to scare children.Even if they really existed, it was eight thousand years ago.He felt foolish just to think that he was a grown man, the black brother of the Night's Watch, not the little boy who had sat at Old Nan's feet with Bran and Robb and Arya.

But Lord Commander Mormont snorted, "If the wildlings attack Ben Stark within half a day's ride of Castle Black, he'll come back and send more men, and chase those murderers to the Seven Hells, and take them to hell." bring me his head." "Unless he himself is killed," Ser Jeremy insisted. Even now, it hurts to hear those words.After all this time, it would be delusional to expect Ben Stark to be alive, but Jon Snow is anything but stubborn. "My lord, Bunyan has been away from us for almost half a year," Sir Jeremy continued. "The forest is vast, and wildlings may attack it everywhere. I bet these two are the last survivors of his team, and they were going to come back to us... ...It's a pity that the enemy caught up before reaching the Great Wall. You see, these corpses are still very fresh, and the time of death will not exceed a day..."

"No," said Samwell Tarly sharply. Jon was taken aback. He hadn't expected to hear Sam's tense, high-pitched voice.Fat boys had always been afraid of officials, and Sir Jeremy had a reputation for being bad-tempered. "Boy, I didn't ask for your opinion." Lake said coldly. "Let him talk, ser," Jon blurted out. Mormont's eyes drifted from Sam to Jon, and then back to Sam. "If the boy has something to say, let him do it. Come closer, boy, we can't see you behind the horse." Sam squeezed past Jon and the horse, sweating profusely. "My lord, no...it can't be just one day...look at...that blood..." "Huh?" Mormont frowned impatiently. "How about the blood?" "He pissed his pants at the sight of blood," Chett yelled, and the Rangers roared with laughter. Sam wiped sweat from his brow. "You...you look at Ghost...Jon's direwolf...you look at the place where he bit off his hand, but...the severed limb didn't bleed, you see..." He waved his hand. "My father... Lord Randyll, he, he sometimes makes me watch him handle his prey...after..." Sam shook his head, his jaw twitching.Now that he really looked at it, he couldn't take his eyes off the corpse. "Freshly dead prey...my lord, the blood still flows. Then...afterwards it clots, like...like jelly, thick aspic, and...and..." He seemed to be throwing up up. "This man...look, his wrist is...very brittle...dry and brittle...like..." Jon understood immediately what Sam meant.He could see the broken veins in the dead man's wrist, like iron worms in the pale flesh, and the blood frozen into black powder.But Jeremy Lake disagrees. "If they'd been dead for more than a day, they'd stink like hell by now. But they don't smell at all." Devon, the weather-beaten old forest officer, loves to boast of his keen sense of smell, and often says he can smell snowfall.Now he crept up to the body and sniffed it. "Well, it doesn't smell very good, but... Your Excellency is right, there is indeed no corpse smell." "They...they're not rotten either," Sam pointed out, his fat fingers trembling. "Look, there are no... no maggots on them, and... no other bugs... They have been lying in the forest for so long, but... they have not been bitten or eaten by animals... If it is not Bai Ling...they..." "No wounds, so to speak," Jon whispered. "And Ghosts are different from other animals. Dogs and horses don't want to go near their dead bodies." The Rangers exchanged glances, and everyone knew it was true.Mormont frowned, looking from the corpse to the dogs. "Chite, bring the Hound over here." Chett quickly complied, cursing, tugging at the dog's leash, and kicking the dog with his leg.But the hounds were mostly whimpering, determined not to move.He tried to pull a female dog by force, but it fought desperately, growling and twisting, trying to break free from the collar, and finally jumped at him.Chett dropped the rope and staggered back, the dog leaping over him into the woods. "It's...that's not right," said Sam Tully eagerly. "Look at the blood...their clothes are covered with blood, and...and their skin is so dry, and...but there's no blood on the ground at all." ...there's nothing around here. They're...they...they..." Sam swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Accordingly, their wounds are so deep... so terrible, blood should be splashed everywhere, right?" Devon sucked on his wooden dentures. "Maybe they didn't die here. Maybe they were brought here and dumped as a warning or something." The old forest officer looked down suspiciously. "Maybe I can't figure it out, but I remember Oser never had blue eyes." Sir Jeremy seemed shocked. "Neither are Buddha flowers." He blurted out, turning his head to look at the two dead men. Silence hung over the forest, and for a while everyone could only hear Sam's heavy breathing and the wet sound of Devon sucking on his dentures.Jon knelt down beside Ghost. "Burn them," someone whispered.It was some ranger, but Jon couldn't tell who it was. "Yes, burn it." Another voice urged. Old Bear shook his head stubbornly. "Not yet. I must ask Maester Aemon to see it first. Let us take them back to the Wall." Some orders are easy to give but difficult to execute.They wrapped the corpse in a cloak, but when Huck and Devin tried to tie one of them to the horse, the horse went berserk, it screamed, stood on its hind legs, kicked wildly, and Kate, who ran to help, was bitten hurt.The rangers tried the other plow horses, and they were equally recalcitrant; even the tameest horses were desperate to come into contact with the corpse.As a last resort, the people had to cut down the branches to make a crude trailer, and it was already afternoon when they set off to return. "Send and search this forest," Mormont ordered Ser Jeremy before setting off. Search through it. Send all your men out, and if not enough, second the hunters and foresters with the steward. If Ben and his men are among them, dead or alive, you must find them. If the forest There are 'others', and they must be reported, and you must be responsible for tracking and arresting them, and it is best to capture them alive, understand?" "Understood, my lord," said Ser Jeremy, "I will see to it." After that, Mormont rode silently in thought.Jon was right behind him—as the Commander's personal affairs officer, that was his place.The sky is gray, filled with water vapor, and the haze is not open. It is the kind of weather that makes people eagerly look forward to rain.There was no wind in the woods, and the air was damp and heavy, and Jon's clothes clung to his skin.The weather is very warm.It's too warm.The Wall had been "tearing" for days, and sometimes Jon couldn't help but imagine that it was shrinking. The old people call this kind of weather "ghost summer", which is said to mean that the ghosts of summer have finally escaped their shackles and wandered around.They also warned that severe cold would follow after that, and long summers are always followed by long winters.This summer has lasted for ten years, and when it first started, Jon was still a child in the arms of his lord. Ghost followed them for a while, then disappeared into the woods.Without the direwolf around him, Jon felt naked.He glanced uneasily at every shadow with suspicion.He couldn't help thinking of the stories Old Nan at Winterfell had told them when he was a boy.Her voice and the "groaning" of the sewing needles are still in my ears.In the darkness, the White Walkers came on horseback. This was her best start, and then she kept lowering her voice. They were cold and exuded the breath of death. They hated steel, fire and sunlight, and all things with warm blood flowing. life.Riding pale dead horses, they led the undead army killed in war all the way south, sweeping across villages, cities and kingdoms.They also used the flesh of human babies to feed their dead servants... Jon was relieved when he finally caught a glimpse of the Wall towering in the distance through the branches of a twisted old oak.Suddenly Mormont reined in and turned his head in the saddle. "Tully," he called, "you come here." Sam lumbered off his horse, and Jon saw the look of fear on his face: he must think he was in trouble. "Boy, you are not stupid if you are fat." Old Xiong said roughly, "You did a good job just now. Snow, you too." Sam blushed immediately, and was eager to thank him, but his tongue wouldn't work.Jon couldn't help laughing. Out of the forest, Mormont kicked his feet and galloped his strong plow horse forward.Ghost came out from the forest to join them.He licked his chin, his muzzle covered in the blood of his prey.In the distance, the condescending Great Wall guards noticed the approaching team, and then the low and thick horn sounded across the field; it was a long and loud cry, trembling through the woods, and echoing on the ice field. Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo The trumpets faded away, and finally fell silent.A sound of the horn means the return of brothers, Jon thought, at least I have been a brother ranger for a day.No matter what the future holds, no one can deny it. As they led their horses through the frozen tunnel, they found Bowen Marsh standing at the first gate.The chief bursar was flushed and looked anxious. "My lord," he said eagerly to Mormont, pulling open the iron gate, "a bird has sent a message, please come at once." "Huh? What's the matter?" Mormont asked impatiently. It was strange that Marsh glanced at Jon before answering, "The letter is in Maester Aemon's hand. He is waiting for you in your study." "All right. I'll give you the horse, Jon. Tell Ser Jeremy to put the body in the storeroom until the maesters can handle it." Mormont grunted and strode away. When Jon and the others led the horses back to the stables, he was uncomfortable to find everyone staring at him.Ser Alliser Thorne was training his recruits in the school yard, but he stopped what he was doing to stare at Jon, a small smile on his lips.One-armed Donal Noye stood at the door of the armory. "May the gods be with you, Snow," he cried. Something must have happened, Jon thought, something very bad. The two dead bodies were carried into a storage room at the foot of the Great Wall, a cold room carved out of the ice wall and used for storing meat and grain, and sometimes even beer.Jon fed and watered Mormont's horse first, and groomed it before tending his own.Then he went to his group of friends, Grant and Todd were on guard, but he found Pyp in the hall. "What happened?" he asked. Piper lowered his voice. "The king is dead." Jon was shocked.Robert Baratheon had been at Winterfell last time, and though he looked old and fat, he seemed in good health, and no one had ever heard of him being ill. "how do you know?" "A guard overheard Clydas reading a letter to Maestro Aemon," Pyp said, leaning closer. "Jon, I'm sorry. He's a good friend of your dad's, isn't he?" "They are brothers." Jon wondered if Joffrey would keep his father Handsome.He thought it was unlikely.In other words, Duke Eddard is about to return to Winterfell, along with his two younger sisters.If he could get Lord Mormont's permission, he might even be able to visit them.It would be great to see Arya's witty smile again, and to talk to Dad.At that time, I must ask him about his mother, he made up his mind, now that I have grown up, he should tell me everything.I don't care if she's a whore, I gotta know. "I heard from Huck that the two dead men were your uncle's subordinates." Piper said. "Yeah," Jon replied, "two of the six he took. They were dead for a long time, but... there was something odd about the bodies." "Strange?" Pip became interested when he heard it. "What kind of weird method?" "Ask Sam," Jon said, not wanting to talk about it. "It's time for me to take care of Old Bear." He walked to the command tower alone, feeling an inexplicable anxiety in his heart.The brothers guarding the gate watched him approach solemnly. "Old Xiong is in the study," one of them announced, "he was looking for you." Jon nodded.He should have come straight from the stables.He trotted up the tower stairs, telling himself that all the Commander wanted was a good glass of wine or a warm fire in the stove. Once in the study, Mormont's raven screamed at him. "Corn!" cried the bird, "Corn! Corn! Corn!" "Don't believe him. I just fed it." Old Bear muttered.He was sitting by the window, reading the letter. "Get me a drink, and pour yourself a glass." "My lord, do I want it too?" Mormont lifted his eyes confidently to stare at Jon.There was pity in those eyes, he could feel it. "You heard me right." Jon poured his wine with extra care, vaguely aware that he was stalling for time.When the glass was full, he had no choice but to face what was in the letter.Even so, the wine glass was filled quickly. "Sit down, child," Mormont ordered him. "Drink it." Jon stood still. "It's about my father, isn't it?" Xiong Lao flicked the letter paper with one finger. "It's about your father and the king," he said loudly. "I won't hide it from you. It's full of bad news. I thought I was very old, and Robert was half my age, strong and strong." You're like a cow, and you have no chance of meeting the new king." He took a sip of his drink. "It is said that the king loves to hunt. I tell you, my child, what we love is what we destroy in the end. Remember it for me. My son loved his young wife to death. That vain woman, if it weren't for her , he will not use his brains on poachers." Jon had no idea what he was talking about. "Commander, I don't understand. What happened to my father?" "Didn't I tell you to sit down?" Mormont grumbled. "Sit down!" screamed the crow. "Fuck you, drink the wine. Snow, that's an order." Jon sat down and took a sip of his wine. "Lord Eddard is in prison. He is charged with treason, and the letter says he conspired with Robert's brothers to take Joffrey's throne." "Impossible!" said Jon at once. "Impossible! Father will never betray the king!" "Whether it's true or not," said Mormont, "it's not my turn to tell. Of course, it's not your turn." "But it's a lie," Jon insisted.How could they regard their father as a traitor?Are they all crazy?The last thing Lord Eddard Stark would do is tarnish his own name... huh? Then why does he have an illegitimate child?A small voice whispered in Jon's mind, What honor is there?And your mother, how is she?He wouldn't even say her name. "My lord, what will happen to him? Will they kill him?" "Son, I can't say for sure. I'm going to write a letter. I knew some of the king's servants when I was young, like old Pycelle, Lord Stannis, Ser Barristan...whether your father has one or not. He's a terrific lord for doing all of this. Make sure he has the chance to join us in black. God knows how much we need someone as talented as Lord Ed." In the past, people accused of treason did go to the Wall to atone for their crimes, and Jon knew that.Why can't Master Ed?Father will come here?What a weird thought, and somehow very disturbing.How unjust was it to take his Winterfell and force him to wear black?However, if he can get away with it... But would Joffrey agree?He remembered how the dauphin had taunted Robb and Ser Rodrik in the school yard when he had been at Winterfell.He hadn't noticed Jon; a bastard was too low for him to even be scorned by him. "My lord, will the king listen to you?" Old Bear shrugged. "The king is a boy... I think he will listen to his mother. It's a pity that the dwarf is not with them. He is the boy's uncle, and he has seen with his own eyes how desperately we need help. Your lord mother took him just like that, It's really inappropriate..." "Lady Stark is not my mother," Jon reminded him sharply.Tyrion Lannister treated him like a friend.If Lord Ed is really killed, she and the queen will bear the same responsibility. "My lord, where are my sisters? Arya and Sansa were with my father, did you know—" "Pycelle didn't say anything in his letter, but I'm sure they will be well taken care of. I'll ask about them in my reply." Mormont shook his head. "It's not a good time, just pick this time. The kingdom needs a strong ruler... Seeing the darkness and cold night coming, I can feel it in my old bones..." He looked at Jon meaningfully glance. "Boy, I hope you don't do something stupid." But he is my father, Jon wanted to say, but he knew it would be no use telling Mormont.He only felt that his throat was dry, so he forced himself to take another sip of wine. "Now your duty is here," the Commander reminded him. "You were dead the moment you put on your black clothes," his bird voice echoed gruffly. "Black clothes." Mormont ignored him. "No matter what happens in King's Landing, it has nothing to do with us." Seeing that Jon didn't answer, the old man drank the wine and said, "You can go. I don't need you today, and you will write for me tomorrow." Believe it." Jon seemed to be in a dream, he didn't remember getting up, let alone how to leave the study.When he came back to his senses, he was walking down the stairs of the tower, thinking at the same time: It was my father and my sister who had the accident, how could it have nothing to do with me? Outside, a guard looked at him and said, "Be strong, boy. The gods are cruel." Only then did Jon realize that they all knew. "My father is not a traitor," he said hoarsely.Even these words were stuck in his throat, as if they were going to choke him to death.The wind has picked up, and the square seems to be colder than before.Ghost Summer seems to be coming to an end. The next half of the afternoon passed like a dream.Jon had no idea where he had been, what he had done, or whom he had spoken to.Bai Ling was by his side, that's all he knew.The silent presence of the direwolf gave him a little comfort.But my sister and the others don't even have this comfort, he thought.The little wolf could have protected them, but the lady was dead, and Nymeria's whereabouts were a mystery. They were all alone. At sunset, a northerly wind blew.As he went to the great hall for supper, Jon heard it screech as it charged up the Wall, over the high ice walls.Harb boiled a large pot of venison soup with barley, onions, and carrots.When he scooped an extra spoonful onto Jon's plate and gave him the crispiest part of the bread, he knew right away what that meant.He also knows.Jon looked around the hall, saw heads turned quickly away, eyes lowered politely.They know it all. His friends swarmed over. "We asked the monk to light a candle for your father." Mesha told him. "They lie, we all know they lie, even Grenn knows they lie," Pyp interjected.Grenn nodded, and Sam took Jon's hand. "You and I are brothers now, so he is also my father," said the fat boy. "If you want to go to the weirwood woods and pray to the old gods, I will go with you." The weirwood woods were far beyond the Wall, but he knew Sam was talking.They are my brothers, he thought, just like Robb and Bran and Rickon . . . Just then he heard Ser Alliser Thorne's laughter, sharp and cruel as a whip. "It turns out that he is not only a bastard, but also a traitor's bastard." He was busy telling the people around him. In the blink of an eye, Jon was on the long table, dagger in hand.Pyp tried to grab him, but he jerked his legs away and jumped across the table, kicking the bowl over in Ser Alliser's hands.The broth splashed and spilled all over the nearby brothers.Thorne backed away.There were shouts all around, but Jon could hear nothing.He flung his dagger at Ser Alliser's face, slashing into the cold onyx eyes.But before he could get to him, Sam was between them, and then Pyp jumped on his back like a monkey and clung to him, Grenn grabbed his hand, and Todd spread his fingers and took Take the dagger. Then, long afterward, after they had escorted him back to his chambers, Mormont came downstairs to meet him, the crow perched on his shoulder. "Boy, didn't I tell you not to do stupid things?" Xiong Lao said. "Boy!" The crow also echoed.Mormont shook his head in disgust. "I had high hopes for you, but it turned out like this." They confiscated his dagger and sword, and told him not to leave his room until the higher officials decided what to do with it.They also sent a man to stand guard outside the door to make sure he obeyed orders.His friends weren't allowed to visit either, but Old Bear somehow leniently allowed Bai Ling to stay with him, so he wasn't completely alone. "My father is not a traitor," he told the direwolf after the crowd had left.Bai Ling looked at him quietly.Jon folded his hands on his knees and slumped against the wall, staring at the candle on the table by the narrow bed.The candle flame flickered and flickered, shadows swayed endlessly around him, and the room seemed darker and colder.I will never sleep tonight, Jon thought. He probably dozed off, though.When I woke up, I felt my legs were stiff and numb, and the candle had already been burned out.Bai Ling stood on his back feet, and clawed at the door with his front feet.Jon was startled to see how tall it had suddenly grown. "Bai Ling, what's the matter?" He called softly.The direwolf turned his head, looked down at him, bared his teeth, and growled silently.Is it crazy?Jon thought to himself. "Bai Ling, it's me." He murmured, trying to hide the fear in his voice.But on the other hand, he was shaking violently involuntarily.When did it get so cold? Bai Ling backed away from the door, and the wooden door was dug into deep claw marks by him.Jon looked at it, feeling increasingly uneasy. "There's someone out there, isn't there?" he said softly.The direwolf crawled back on all fours, the white hairs on its neck standing on end.It must be the guard, he thought. They sent a man to keep guard, and it seemed that Ghost didn't like the smell of him. Jon stood up slowly.He trembled uncontrollably, wishing that the sword was still in his hand.Taking three steps forward, he came to the door, grabbed the doorknob and pulled it in, only to hear the hinge creak, which almost didn't scare him to jump up. The guard lay limply across the narrow passage, looking up at him.Look up at him!Lie on your stomach.His head was turned a full 180 degrees. Impossible, Jon said to himself, this is the Lord Commander's tower, guarded day and night, there is no way this could have happened, I must be dreaming, I must be dreaming. Ghost slipped past him to the door and walked upstairs, pausing on the way to look back at Jon.Just then he heard the scuff of boots on the flagstones, and the snap of the latch.The voice came from upstairs, from the Commander-in-Chief's room. It might have been a nightmare, but he wasn't in a dream. The guard's sword was still in its sheath.Jon leaned forward and drew, weapon in hand, his courage growing.He stepped up the steps, with Bai Ling leading the way silently.Shadows lurk around every turn of the stairs.Jon moved forward cautiously, stabbing twice with the tip of his sword whenever he encountered a suspicious dark place. Suddenly, he heard the scream of Mormont's crow. "Corn!" cried the bird, "Corn! Corn! Corn! Corn! Corn! Corn!" Ghost sped forward, and Jon hurried up the stairs.The door to Mormont's study stood wide open.The direwolf rushed in.Jon stood in the doorway, sword in hand, to adjust his eyes to the dark.Heavy curtains covered the windows, and the room was as dark as ink. "Who is it?" he called. And then he saw: a shadow within a shadow, a black figure, cloaked and hooded, gliding towards the door of Mormont's bedroom...but beneath the hood, the eyes gleamed With a cold blue awn. Bai Ling jumped in the air, and the wolf fell down at the same time, but neither screamed nor roared.They rolled and shattered chairs and desks piled high with papers.Mormont's crow fluttered through the air, screaming, "Corn! Corn! Corn! Corn!" In it, Jon felt as blind as Maester Aemon.So he leaned his back against the wall and walked to the window, reaching out and pulling down the curtain.Moonlight streamed into the study, and he caught a glimpse of a pair of black hands buried deep in the white fur, with swollen fingers gradually pinching the direwolf's throat.Ghost kicked and twisted, his limbs twitching in the air, but he couldn't get free. Jon had no time for fear.He jumped forward, shouted loudly, and swung his sword with all his strength.Steel scraped across sleeves, skin, and bone, but somehow the sound was strange.The breath surrounding him was strange and cold, almost choking him.He saw the severed arm on the ground, with black fingers wriggling in the moonlight.Bai Ling broke free from the other hand, and crawled aside with his red tongue sticking out. The hooded man raised his round pale face, and Jon slashed with his sword without hesitation.The sword split his nose in two, creating a bone-deep gash that ran right down the cheek, just below the eyes, which were like burning blue stars.Jon recognized the face.Oser, he staggers back, gods be good, he's dead, he's dead, I see him dead. He felt something scratching his ankle.Looking down, black fingers were gripping his calf, and the severed arm was crawling up his thigh, tearing at wool and muscle.With a sharp nausea, Jon yelled, pried the fingers off his foot with the point of his sword, and dropped the thing.The severed arm was wriggling on the ground, and the fingers kept opening and closing. The corpse staggered towards him.It didn't shed a drop of blood, and although it was missing a hand and its face was almost split in two, it seemed unconscious.Jon raised the longsword in front of his face. "Don't come over!" he ordered, his voice harsh. "Corn!" the crow screamed, "Corn! Corn!" The severed arm on the ground was coming out of the ripped sleeve, like a white snake with five black heads.Bai Ling swung his claws and grabbed the severed arm with his mouth open. Immediately there was the sound of shattering finger bones.Jon slashed at the corpse's neck, feeling the blade sink deep into it. Oser's body rushed forward, knocking him to the ground. Jon's shoulder blades hit the overturned desk, and he couldn't breathe in pain.where is the swordWhere did the sword go?He actually lost that damn sword!Jon opened his mouth to shout, but the wight stuffed black fingers into his mouth.他一边噎气，一边想把手推开，但尸体实在太重，鬼手硬是朝他喉咙深处钻，冷得像冰，令他窒息。那张尸脸紧贴他的脸，遮住了整个世界。那对眼睛覆满诡异的冰霜，闪着非人的蓝光。琼恩用指甲扒它冰冷的肌肉，踢它的腿，试着用嘴巴咬，用手捶，试着呼吸…… 突然间尸体的重量消失，喉咙上的手指也被扯开。琼恩惟一能做的就只有翻身，拼命呕吐，不断发抖。 原来是白灵再度攻击。他看着冰原狼的利齿咬进尸鬼的内脏，又撕又扯。他就这么意识模糊地看了好一阵子，才想起来自己该把剑找到…… ……回身看见浑身赤裸，刚从睡梦中惊醒，还很虚弱的莫尔蒙司令，提着一盏油灯站在过道。那条被咬得稀烂，又少了指头的断臂正在地板上猛烈摆动，蠕动着朝他爬去。 琼恩想要大喊，却没了声音。他踉跄地站起来，一脚把断臂踢开，伸手从熊老手中抢过油灯。只见灯焰晃动，险些就要熄灭。“烧啊！”乌鸦哇哇大叫，“烧啊！烧啊！烧啊！” 琼恩在原地忙乱转圈，瞥见先前从窗户扯下的帘幕，便两手握住灯，朝那一团布缦掷去。金属油灯落地，玻璃罩应声碎裂，灯油溅洒出来，窗帘立刻轰地一声，燃起熊熊烈焰。扑面而来的热气比琼恩尝过的任何一个吻都来得甜美。“白灵！”他叫道。 冰原狼从那正挣扎着爬起的尸鬼身上猛地一扭，抽身跳开。黑色的液体自死尸腹部的大裂口缓缓流出，好似一条条黑蛇。琼恩探手到火里抓起一把燃烧的布块，朝尸鬼扔去。烧啊，看着布块盖住尸体，他暗自祈祷，天上诸神，求求你们，求求你们让它烧啊。