10th Month of 299 A.C. Winterfell
Maester Luwin
The false Stark was gone, having left Winterfell long behind, it was a relief somewhat to Luwin truth be told, he had been terrified that there might come a time when he would need to choose between the vows he had sworn and the family he had come to care for. The false Stark had sent his minions after Lord Robb and upon hearing of the result of the battle had decided to retreat to a place where Luwin could not find him. Luwin had no doubt that the man would reappear though, there was something about him that just suggested as much. It was a worrying thing, and Luwin was just grateful that for now Lord Robb and Lady Wynafryd were back and safe within Winterfell with their son as well as with young Rickon. As he looked at Lord Robb, he saw Lord Eddard reflected in the way the young man held himself, in the way his shoulders remained stiff, but seemed to relax at the touch of his wife, it brought a small smile to Luwin's face, but when Lord Robb looked at him he quickly schooled his face into a blank expression.
"What happened when the false Stark learned that there was a force coming from White Harbour?" Lord Robb asks.
"He sent men out to deal with that host, men that were with him when he took the castle my lord." Luwin replies, seeing the grief etched on Lady Wynafryd's face, her grandfather had been part of the host that had ridden from White Harbour, and he had perished during the fighting.
"Did he say how he meant to use those men, before the battle?" Lord Robb asks, and Luwin gets the feeling that just like his father before him, Lord Robb is trying to provide comfort to his wife in some shape or form.
Luwin thinks for a moment and then replies. "He merely said that they would be used to the best of their capabilities I did not think to question what that meant."
"Of course, none could think that those men would do as they did. I do not know why my grandfather decided to ride out with the host. He should have let Ser Marlon command." Lady Wynafryd says, her voice thick with grief.
"Lord Wyman never seemed the type to want to sit at home and twiddle his thumbs, especially when it came to his family Wynafryd." Lord Robb replies. "His sacrifice has not gone unnoticed nor has it been in vain. We are in Winterfell, and the false Stark's supporters are dead."
"But he is not." Lady Wynafryd points out. "He remains, and so long as he remains we are not safe. You, yourself said as much Robb. He will keep coming until he has succeeded in killing all of us."
"And I will not let him do that." Lord Robb responds, before he looks at Luwin and asks. "So what did the false Stark speak of when he was here?"
Luwin does not fail to note the hint of anger within his lord's voice as he asks the question, and he cannot blame him, losing the castle to a man like the false Stark must be something of nightmare to Lord Robb, after all, there had been much panic when last the man had ventured out. "He spoke of how he intended to right the wrongs done to him and his family. He spoke of how the murder of Lady Catelyn and Lady Arya was just the beginning of his revenge." The man he spoken with such heat behind his words, such venom that Luwin was surprised he was still alive.
"Does he not know that he is killing his own kin?" Lady Wynafryd asks. "How can he be so easy with these monstrous things that he is doing?"
"Because he does not see you all as being his family my lady." Luwin replies. "He believes that his brother Brandon's line died out when Lonnel Snow's son Artos died. He does not recognise Beron Stark as being trueborn, there was some talk, I found out back when Beron Stark was born, that the child was from somewhere else for Lady Alys had difficult conceiving before the boy was born."
"So what? He claims that Lady Alys cheated on Lord Brandon?" Lord Robb asks astounded. "That sounds as if he is merely stretching facts. From what I have heard of Lord Brandon had anyone even tried something like that, they would have ended up dead."
Luwin is about to nod his head in agreement with his lord's statement, when something comes to his memory then, a piece of knowledge he had learned long ago and stored away. "Actually, Lord Brandon would not have done anything when his father was alive. For if I remember correctly, Lord Cregan needed the Karstarks more than any other house at that point."
"Why? I would have thought someone such as the Old Man in the North would not need to rely on anyone." Lady Wynafryd asks sounding confused.
Before Luwin can respond, Lord Robb speaks. "The Boltons were growing truculent once more during the end of Lord Cregan's reign and as the Karstarks are near Bolton lands, I think that Lord Cregan might well have needed them to spy on the Boltons, therefore whatever happened, Alys Karstark was valuable, very valuable."
Lady Wynafryd seems to comprehend what they are saying, but then she says. "But surely this was something that only fools believed, this rumour, this falsehood?"
"I would think so my lady." Luwin replies. "But with every sort of rumour, this one grew some legs, that was why Lord Brandon died, fighting to defend the legitimacy of his sons and his legitimate descendants."
There is a long silence then as they ponder all of this, Luwin looks through the scrolls on his table, shifting through them, looking for something particular, wondering if that might hold the answers to the questions they seek, and whether or not there might be an answer to something he has been pondering, just as he is about to pick up the relevant scroll, Lord Robb speaks, his voice questioning. "How is Rickon doing maester?"
Maester Luwin looks at Lord Robb, seeing some of the man's younger brother in him, the same hair, the same eyes, the same defiant look in the eyes as well, and then he remembers the scared little boy who had come back and wanted to know where his mother was. He sighs. "He is getting better my lord. But it shall take some time before he has fully recovered from the shock of the events that preceded your return."
Lord Robb nods in understanding though he looks slightly pained. "He did not recognise me when I spoke with him last." The words are whispered, but Luwin hears them all the same.
"It will take time my lord, time for him to remember you, but the more time he spends with you, and the more time he sees you, the more he will remember and come to know you." Luwin replies smiling encouragingly.
Lord Robb nods, though Luwin suspects that the man does not truly believe him. "Very well. Now, is there anything else that you feel is of importance for us to discuss?"
Luwin holds the scroll that he thinks might answer some of the questions he has, but does not bring that to Lord Robb's attention, he will need to inspect that scroll further before presenting it to his lord, instead he focuses on what word he remembers coming from the wall. "The wall is in grave danger of a wildling assault my lord. It seems that Lord Commander Edd, is not the man his brothers thought him to be."
Lady Wynafryd snorts at that. "You mean the party influencing him now is not what his brothers thought they would be. After all, we all know the man has no actual power."
That seems to surprise Lord Robb. "I had heard about the man's election, but I did not think that the Night's Watch would truly stoop so low as to take away power from their commander." The man pauses for a moment as if truly considering the implications of such a thing, then he asks. "Who are the two factions?"
Luwin speaks then. "There are those under Bowen Marsh who believe some of the wildlings should be allowed to settle on some Night's Watch land to prevent the continuous struggle between the watch and the wildlings, and then there are those under Ser Allister Thorne who believe the wildlings should be left to die."
Luwin looks at Lord Robb's face then, and sees a mixture of emotions playing out across his face, confusion, despair, anger, relief all of them are evident across his face, eventually, his expression becomes blank and his words are calm when he says. "I see. I suppose the time has come then for me to remind the Night's Watch as to why they still remain."
Lady Wynafryd speaks then. "You cannot mean to leave for the Wall now?! You have only just come back."
Lord Robb seems to sigh then. "I know that my love, but the lords of the north are still here, some are camped in the lands nearby, but they are all still here. If there is something that needs to be done at the Wall, I would rather have them ready to move at a moment's notice than dismiss them once more."
"And what of Winterfell, what of us, Robb, what are we to do then?" Lady Wynafryd asks, her voice desperate sounding.
Luwin averts his eyes somewhat, as the Lord of Winterfell comes to embrace his wife and whispers. "I will not leave immediately my love. I will need to speak with my lords and assess what things need to be done here before we depart." Some voiceless words are exchanged between the Lord and Lady, for soon enough Lord Robb has turned to him and is asking. "How much food do we have maester?"
Luwin thinks through the accounts and then says. "We have enough food for around three moons, at the current rate of having the armies gathered here. There is more food stored within the deep cellars that can always be brought out if need be my lord."
Lord Robb seems satisfied with that. "There will be no need to break into the extra cellars, we shall be gone before the moon is over. So tell me, what other word has there been from the wall and the rest of the north?"
"There have been sightings of similar men to what you described my lord, men who seem normal until they are fought, when they release all kinds of carnage." Luwin replies.
"And how are they being dealt with?" Lord Robb asks.
"They are not my lord, they merely depart after gathering food and drink." Luwin responds.
"Why, what are they doing?" Lord Robb muses aloud. "It does not make sense, those men I fought in the Barrowlands did not seem to be normal men, and yet they act like normal men."
Luwin brings out another scroll and lays it down on the table before them. "I think I have some inkling as to what these men might be my lord." Lord Robb nods for him to continue. "There are tales of men who have their life struck from them and though their bodies remain, they have no functions other than to fight, eat and drink, they do not think for themselves, and they do only as their master tells them to."
"What are they called?" Lord Robb asks.
"Mortuus Vivens." Luwin replies.
"What does that mean?" Lady Wynafryd asks.
Luwin thinks back hard and then replies. "It is old tongue my lady, it means resuscitated dead. And there was one man at the citadel when I was there who was a specialist at such things. His name was Qyburn, and I think we might need to be wary of what more happens."
"Is there a way to stop them?" Lord Robb asks.
"With fire and flame, and the horn you wield my lord." Luwin responds.