A Game of Thrones-Chapter 19

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Jon III
A Game of Thrones chapter
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POV Jon
Page US HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Jon II
Catelyn III  ← Jon III →  Eddard IV

Jon IV

Jon Snow is able to easily defeat the other recruits in combat, all of whom Jon detests. Still this does not impress their trainer, Ser Alliser Thorne. After training he goes back to his cell and is interrupted from his contemplation by several of the other boys who are training with him. Their beating of Jon in interrupted by Donal Noye, who instructs the other boys to leave, and tells Jon he better reconsider his attitude towards the others, who were not as privileged as he. Then he meets up with Tyrion who tells him he has to embrace the nickname the others have given him which he detests, Lord Snow. Next his is told to go to the Lord Commander, who has a message for him from Winterfell: Bran had awoken.

Synopsis

Jon Snow is training under Ser Alliser Thorne at Castle Black. Jon accidentally injures Grenn during a training fight. Thorne calls an end of the training for the day. Thorne mercilessly berates them all and has given Jon the name “Lord Snow,” which Jon hates. To his annoyance, everyone has taken it up using the name. Jon feels like Thorne dislikes him, but dislikes the other boys more. Jon has no friends among the 20 recruits; Jon has found he despises them more with time, and can easily beat them all. He has found Castle Black cold and the people colder. He resents that nobody but Tyrion had told him that the Wall would be like this. That his father had not told him hurts.

Three days after arriving at the Wall, he had learned that Benjen Stark was going on a ranging. Jon sought out his uncle and had pleaded with Benjen to be allowed to go on the ranging. Benjen told him that he has to earn the right to go, and that he is still a boy, and that he loved his brother, but the men in black were his brothers now. The next morning he had smiles but not for Jon, telling him that he will speak with him when he returns. He goes to his lonely cell to be with Ghost, thinking of how he misses all his brothers and sisters, even Sansa. He is interrupted from his thoughts by the arrival of Grenn, Toad and the two other recruits in his cell. They were all butes and bullies, who have been sent to the Wall for the crimes. Jon grabs for his sword, but is grabbed. Jon attacks, but is soon on the grounds. Donal Noye intervenes to stop the fight. He sends the others away.

After the others leave Noye tells Jon that the watch needs every man it can get, and Jon replies Noye that the boy has called his mother… Noye tells him that his father’s honor did not prevent him from fathering a bastard, and that words will not make his mother a whore. He then tills him about how Jon may think that he has had a hard life as a high lord’s bastard, and continues about the history of men of the wall, and that Jon is here for life.

Jon thinks of how Donal Noye had had a life before taking the black; he feasted and wrenched and fought in battles. He been blacksmith to Lord Stannis, and some say he forged King Robert’s warhammer. He lost an arm during the siege of Pyke, and subsequently took the black. Jon tells Noye that the others dislike him because he is better than them, but Noye responds him that it is because he thinks he is better than them. Noye then calls him he is not a lordling, but a bastard and a bully. Being called a bully surprises Jon since they came after him, and they are all older and bigger than him. Noye explains to Jon that he had humiliated them and shame them; the other recruits had little to no formal training in sword fighting, whereas Jon was trained by an anointed knight. Jon starts to feel ashamed but is still angry. Noye tells him he has to accept his life and considers how he treats his companions or "sleep with a dagger by your bed." Noye tells him to go.

After he leaves he looks up at the Wall, a massive blue-white cliff in the sun that filled up half the sky. The largest structure built by the hands of man according to Benjen, and the most useless according to the Tyrion. The wall is older than the Seven Kingdoms. To Jon is seems to say it is the end of the world. Castle Black, under the wall, seems to be just a collection of what looks like toy blocks under the wall. Unlike any castle, it could not be defended from the east or west or south. Benjen had told him that the top of the wall is wide enough for a dozen knights to ride abreast, and from the top, the people below looked like ants. Tyrion interrupts his looking up at the wall by telling him it makes you wonder about what lies beyond.

Jon had seen little of Tyrion since arriving since he was being treated like an honored guest, spending his time with the high officers. Tyrion asks if Jon is interested in knowing what is on the other side. Jon responds that there is nothing special: the rangers say woods, mountains, and frozen ice. As he is tells Tyrion this he is thinking about how he wished he could have ridden with Benjen and fight wildings. As he is talking to Jon, he calls him Lord. When Jon objects to the title, Tyrion asks if he would rather be called the ”Imp,” and continues by telling him, "If they want to give you a name, take it, and make it your own, then they can’t hurt you with it anymore". Tyrion tells him that he wants something hot and so they proceed to the mess hall together.

Tyrion asks about Ghost, and Jon tells him that he chains him in the old stables while he is training, and the rest of the time he stays with Jon and his sleeping area is Harden’s Tower. Tyrion stated that he thought those building had been abandoned. Jon responds that nobody cared where you sleep, and that most of the old keeps are empty. At one time Castle Black had housed 5,000 fighting men with their horses and servants. Now it had a tenth of that number; Of the 19 strongholds along the wall, only 3 were now occupied. Jon continues that the others are afraid of Ghost, and it is rest are scared of Ghost. Tyrion states that they are wise boys.

Tyrion then mentions that Benjen Stark, who went in search of Ser Waymar Royce, is too long away. Jon remembers that his uncle was supposed to be back by his name day which had occurred a fortnight ago. Tyrion states that he has heard that a great number of rangers have disappeared recently. In the Common Hall Jon gets food and chooses a spot away from the others, and Tyrion sits opposite him. Ser Alliser interrupts Jon’s conversation to tell him that the Lord Commander wants to see him now, and only knows that a bird arrived with news about his half-brother. Tyrion fears the worst, and gives is sympathy to Jon.

Jon races to the Commander’s Keep. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, telling him that he understands Jon can read, and gives him the message that has arrived in Robb’s hand from Winterfell. It says that Bran had awoken and will live, although crippled for the rest of his life. Jon, who is not upset about Bran being a cripple, is overjoyed that Bran lives and rushes back to tell Tyrion. In his joy he reaches out to Grenn, he telling him that he is sorry for what he did, and would be willing to show him how to defend against the move. Ser Allister sarcastically remarks:

“Lord Snow wants to take my place now.” He sneered. “I’d have an easier time teaching a wolf to juggle than you will training this aurochs.”

To which Jon replies:

“I’ll take that wager, Ser Alliser,” Jon said. “I’d love to see Ghost juggle.”

All men in the hall, including Grenn, begin to laugh while Ser Allister leaves the hall in anger. As he leaves, Ser Allister mutters to himself that that was a grievous error Lord Snow.

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