"What good would going back do, except give them one more head to cut off?"
Petyr laid out his reasoning calmly. "Listen, child. There's only one way to save your father. Leave King's Landing at once and return to the North. Find your brother Robb, tell him everything that happened here, and have him muster an army and march south as soon as possible. Only a northern army at their gates can force the Lannisters to release him, or at least keep them from acting rashly. If they're captured, I'll find a way to keep your father alive, persuade him to submit for now, and buy time."
"We can send a raven to the North."
"That old man Pycelle belongs to the Lannisters. If you try to send a raven north to summon an army, your letter will reach Cersei before it ever leaves the Maester's Tower."
Jon was persuaded. Petyr's logic was flawless, and he acted like someone who genuinely wanted to help, though Jon felt an instinctive aversion to him.
So that very night, Petyr arranged for him to slip aboard a merchant ship belonging to House Manderly of White Harbor in the North.
Aboard the ship, Jon worried about his father and sisters day and night. Only when the ship entered White Harbor did he feel a little relief.
Jon had intended to ask House Manderly for the use of a raven, to get word to Winterfell as quickly as possible, when he suddenly heard a commotion.
A few words happened to reach his ears. "King... beheaded... Stark..."
He shoved his way into the crowd.
"What did you say? Who was beheaded?"
The man flinched at the sight of him and muttered, "Word from King's Landing. It happened just two days ago. The former Hand of the