"Outrageous!"
Alliser Thorne was the first to break the deathly silence.
He stepped out of the crowd, his face full of undisguised scorn and hostility.
"Lynn, who do you think you are? The Lord Commander?"
"Burn our brothers' bodies?"
"That's the most absurd, vicious suggestion I've ever heard!"
Thorne's words immediately struck a chord with the other men of the Night's Watch.
"That's right! Othell and Jaffar were our brothers!"
"We can't treat our brothers according to the Wildlings' barbaric customs!"
"He's mad! Killing Wildlings must have driven him mad!"
Questions and curses rose one after another.
The men of the Night's Watch who had only just come to regard Lynn with awe were now filled with hostility toward him again because of his "outrageous" words.
Lynn ignored the noise.
His gaze remained fixed on Lord Commander Mormont.
He knew that here, only the Old Bear's word counted.
"Lynn, give me a reason."
Lord Commander Mormont's voice was low and commanding.
Rather than dismiss Lynn outright as the others had, he chose to give him a chance to explain.
That brought Lynn a little relief.
"My lord."
Lynn's gaze swept over the two bodies.
"Do you remember what I told you before?"
"Beyond the Wall, the White Walkers have awakened."
"Their eyes are like burning sapphires."
"They can make the dead rise again!"
Lynn's words silenced the uproar in the courtyard once more.
Everyone froze.
Make the dead rise?
That sounded even more absurd than burning their brothers' bodies.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Thorne scoffed.
"Do you think you're telling some ancient tale to a three-year-old?"
"I'm not lying."
Lynn met Thorne's gaze, then turned toward Lord Commander Mormont.
"My lord, I found the same thing in the Wildling settlement."
"Their eyes were exactly like Othell's and Jaffar's!"
Lord