Departure (Part One)

In the study on the top floor of the Main Castle.

Eddard sat at his desk without a word, while Catelyn stood by the window, gazing into the distance. The tension between them was plain to see.

After showing him the way, Steward Poole left the room, leaving only a bewildered Gary standing inside.

"Luke, take a look at this."

Eddard tapped the desk and pushed a sheet of letter paper toward Gary.

Gary walked over to the desk, picked up the letter, and read, "Ned, how have you been? Here at Castle Black..."

The first half of the letter was all everyday news, but the second half contained a bombshell. "Regarding Luke's origins, I have compiled the information gathered over these past few years. My conclusion is that he is not Brandon's bastard."

"I caught the trafficker who sold women beyond the Wall. He is now in Castle Black's dungeon. According to his recollection, he did indeed sell a group of women beyond the Wall seventeen years ago, including one carrying a child."

"However, that woman died along the way. As for the child, because the Wildling tribes rejected outsiders, he simply abandoned it in the snow beside the road. A baby only a few months old could not possibly have survived in that frozen wilderness. The child was probably carried off and eaten by a wild beast."

"Although Luke has assumed a false identity, he has never done anything to threaten Winterfell. He is a good boy. I will continue investigating this matter to see whose orders he was acting under. Send Luke to Castle Black as soon as possible, and have him fulfill this generation of Starks' duty to guard the Wall in their stead."

Gary put down the letter, utterly speechless. Inwardly, he grumbled, Seriously? Exposed already? Was the Three-Eyed Crow really this useless?

"Do you have anything to explain?" Eddard asked.

Gary rubbed his chin. "I'm indeed not a member of House Stark..."

"You see! I told you he knew all along! He was in on it, Ned. You need to take this seriously." Catelyn suddenly turned around as she spoke and glanced at Gary. She left the room with a cold expression.

Eddard was rather embarrassed. He had just wagered with Catelyn that Luke certainly knew nothing about it. He had never expected Gary to confess outright without even being asked.

"Who instructed you to do this? What purpose did that person have in planting you in Winterfell?"

Gary shrugged. "There was no purpose. I was raised by the Children of the Forest. I never knew any Brandon Stark. My foster mother is called Leaf. She is one of the Children of the Forest. She only sent me here so I could live a normal human life."

At the mention of the Children of the Forest, Eddard laughed in anger. They were creatures of myth. How could they possibly exist in reality? Even if they had once existed, they would have died out long ago, just like the dragons.

"What about the letter? Where did the letter come from?"

Gary hesitated, then asked tentatively, "Have you heard of the Greenseer? He gave me the letter."

Smack!

Eddard slapped the desk and rose to his feet. "I told you to tell me the truth, and you're telling me bedtime stories?"

Gary smiled. "Then you must think White Walkers are just legends too?"

Eddard walked up to Gary. "Have you killed White Walkers too?"

"Of course not. I've only seen White Walkers."

Having said that, Gary spread his hands. "I've told you everything. Anything else you want to ask?"

Eddard closed his eyes in disappointment. "Go back and pack. You'll leave tomorrow morning to report to Castle Black."

Gary took the money pouch from his belt and poured all the gold coins inside onto the desk. "Consider these gold coins payment for my meals over the years."

Holding the empty pouch, he walked out of the study.

Eddard picked up a Gold Dragon and examined it in his hand.

One face of the Gold Dragon bore the sigil of House Targaryen, a fire-breathing three-headed dragon. The other would bear the portrait of the king reigning when it was minted...

"Aenys I Targaryen? A Gold Dragon from over a hundred years ago? How could it still be in circulation?"

Whenever a new king took the throne, coins would be melted down and reminted. Though this was a slow process, after generations of kings doing so, Gold Dragons more than a century old had long since ceased to exist.

He picked up the other gold coins and examined them. Their dates varied, but they were all century-old coins.

"The Children of the Forest?"

Looking at the Gold Dragons in his hand, Eddard sank into thought.

Gary returned to his room, calmed down for a while, and suddenly felt regret.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, he said with a bitter smile, "That was rash. Without money, I won't get anywhere."

Gary had originally planned to leave Winterfell the following year and travel. For one thing, he could broaden his horizons; for another, he could take the opportunity to investigate the Mysterious Crystal.

Unfortunately, plans could never keep pace with change.

Eddard would send him to Castle Black tomorrow morning, so he would have to slip out of Winterfell tonight.

"Forget it. I can still travel without money. I could work as a mercenary, for instance..."

"Being a mercenary isn't that easy."

Robb and Snow stood together in the doorway, smiling and waving at Gary.

Gary rubbed his nose awkwardly. He had forgotten to close the door. Had they heard him talking to himself?

Robb tossed Gary a money pouch and said with a smile, "You know I don't save money, so this is all I have."

Snow entered the room and tossed him another pouch. "I have some Silver Stags and Copper Stars here. Take these too."

Gary fumbled to catch the two pouches. "You both know?" he asked in surprise.

Standing in the doorway, Robb looked around. "Arya told us. Why hasn't she come herself?"

Warmth filled Gary's heart. "Did she overhear it?... Thank you, but you really don't have to..."

"Luke, don't stand on ceremony at a time like this. You're in trouble now, so of course we'll help however we can," Snow said, his face serious.

Tap, tap.

Standing in the doorway, Robb tapped the door, drawing the other two's attention. He said to Snow, "Snow, stay here with Luke. I'll go downstairs and make arrangements now."

"All right. Be careful. Don't get caught," Snow replied.

Feeling that Snow was underestimating him, Robb snorted. "I know. Wait for my good news."

With that, he left.

Gary was a little surprised. "You're going to help me escape Winterfell?"

Snow and the others knew Gary's aspirations, and they knew how much he hated the lands north of the Wall. "Haven't you always wanted to see the south? Once tonight is over, you'll never have another chance."

"You don't blame me for lying to you?" Gary could not believe they showed no resentment at all.

Snow asked in return, "When did you ever lie to us? Why would we blame you? You were a child back then too. How could you have had any control over your own fate? Robb and I know it was the adults who got it wrong."

So that was how they saw it.

Gary fell silent. He did not know whether he should tell them the truth.

Snow said as though it were only natural, "Luke, even if you don't have the blood of House Stark, you're still our best friend."

Deeply moved, Gary could not help choking up. "Thank you... thank you both."

Snow smiled. "It's still early. Shall we chat for a while?"

"Yeah, sure."