7th Month of 299 A.C. Winterfell
Maester Luwin
A maester of the citadel was supposed to be sworn to castle at which he served, they were of course expected to develop some loyalty to the family in that castle, but as with anything in this world, they were expected to put their loyalty to the castle first. Of course that was easier said than done. For fifteen years Luwin had served the Starks of Winterfell, had served Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn, had served their children, had watched the family that has grown up here, and such a thing was not an easy thing to forget about or put aside, made more difficult by the fact that he did not want to put it aside. Luwin had grown up in a broken home within the Riverlands, his father had been a drunkard and his mother a whore, but they had managed somehow, he had come to Winterfell a young man, and had grown to care for the family of Lord Eddard. It did not sit right with him, that he should serve someone who had killed Lady Catelyn, it angered him deeply, and so he did what he had to do, but he hid the true intentions of which he harboured, and so he kept everything a façade, ensuring that he played the game, filled the power drunkenness of the man, and allowed his schemes to go by, unnoticed.
The man was standing in front of him, the false Stark, his face was long, his hair brown and his eyes grey, he was a Stark alright, in his features, but there was none of the Stark honour, or good sense, none of the Stark kindness, there was a coldness within the man that harkened back to a time when the Starks had been more savage beasts than people. Luwin had read the tales, but had not believed them, until now that was. How else could one explain such features and such longevity. The man speaks and Luwin focuses on his words. "Tell me Maester, what do you think the Manderlies are planning right now."
The question does not surprise Luwin, the Manderlys are one of the most powerful houses within the north, Lord Wyman's granddaughter is now Lady of Winterfell, of course they will be planning something. Luwin hesitates for a moment, trying to decide which angle to play. Eventually he decides that the time has come for some truth, some half-truths at least. "I believe that they will be planning on removing you from your position here my lord. Lord Wyman has worked long and hard on ensuring that his granddaughter married to Robb Stark, now that she has had the man's son, I do not think he would want to see her without her rightful place."
Lord Stark snorts at that, even thinking of the man as Lord Stark grates Luwin. "And of course you would want him to do such a thing. I think that the man thinks me a fool. Sending me his maester's head, as if such a thing would ever bother me. I do not care about the Lannisters, not anymore. They are done for as it is. But yes, no doubt he will gather a host of men, just as his ancestor did all those years ago, in the vain hope of keeping his daughter alive."
"Lord Wyman is not his ancestor my lord." Luwin replies, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that this man before him is as old as he says he is. "He has more caution within him, more guile, and more allies."
The man laughs. "Ah, and that is where I think you are mistaken maester. Manderlys have a tendency to do things in a particular manner. Lord Wyman follows that pattern, they plot, they scheme and they fawn over those within Winterfell. Lord Wyman has done exactly what his ancestor's father did when the wars broke out within the north. And now I know what he will do next."
Finding his curiosity getting the better of him, Luwin asks. "And what is it that you think he will do next my lord?"
The man fixes his eyes on Luwin and his voice is perfectly controlled when he replies. "He will be mustering men to come against me. He thinks that the sending of this head," at that the man gestures to the bag before them on the table. "Will be enough to lull me into a false sense of security. I am not so foolish as to go along with that." Something must show on his face, for the man snorts once more. "Oh I know that I can keep somethings within my own hand, and I will go along with certain things, but I am not a fool. I know where he will hit."
His curiosity getting the better of him, Luwin asks. "And where do you think he will hit my lord?"
"He will come from the southern entranceway. No doubt the Cerwyns will come close in as well, they have remained far too silent considering what that woman is like. Furthermore, the men of Barrowton and the Rills are remaining deftly silent. Lord Ryder assures me he has that under control, but I seriously doubt it. The man is a fool, I can fully understand why Robb Stark left him behind. No, Manderly will come from the south, and as such, he will rely on the Umbers breaking their silence and coming from the north, to force me to send my men in two directions." The false Stark lord replies.
"How will you deal with that my lord?" Luwin asks, once more finding his curiosity overruling his desire for complete silence.
At this the man before him smiles, a wolfish grin. "I will give him what he wants, a divide within my forces, but I shall not send my best fighters out to deal with the Umbers or his force. Oh no, they shall remain within Winterfell, and ensure that all goes accordingly. And you, you shall be the main piece in this puzzle."
Keeping his face blank, Luwin asks. "What do you mean my lord?"
"I shall give you command of the defence of the castle." The man responds.
"My lord?" Luwin asks confused.
The man laughs. "Did you really think I didn't know about the role you were playing within their little charade maester? Come now, I have not survived for as long as I have by being a complete fool. So you shall command the host here, and as such, you will deliver Winterfell back to the Manderlys. But not without a fight first."
Luwin hesitates for a moment, and then he asks. "And where shall you be during this my lord?"
"Why, I shall be here, there, everywhere. But they won't get me. Not now, and perhaps not ever. But that is not relevant just now." The man replies, leaving Luwin feeling more concerned than ever. "So tell me, what other word has there been from the north?"
Luwin hesitates for a moment, still trying to understand what the man before him has been talking about, he is still not sure whether he actually understands it, but still, he knows he has a role to play, and so he looks down at the letters in his hands and he says. "Arnolf Karstark has agreed to the terms of your alliance, as have the Dark Horses. The Greenwoods are coming with their men, and shall be prepared to fight within the fortnight. Furthermore, it seems that there are issues at the Wall."
Whilst the man before him might not act like any of the Starks he has had the pleasure of knowing, he does still share their concern about the Wall. "Of course there are issues at the Wall, there have always been gods damned issues at the Wall. What is it this time?"
Luwin looks down at the writing scrawled on that particular letter and sighs. "It appears that the election of Edd Tollet did not go down as well as the sworn brothers of the Watch had hoped it would. Tollet has become nothing more than a mere puppet, and as such has fallen under the control of Bowen Marsh's faction just now."
The man's face scrunches into one of concentration then. "Bowen Marsh, the steward correct?"
"Yes my lord." Luwin says.
"Ah, yes, the fop, the one who would not be able to make a clear decision if his life depended on it. Which I suppose it does. So tell me, what does his faction want?" the man asks.
Luwin looks down through the letter once more, once the information is present within his mind he responds. "They want to ensure that a small amount of the wildlings are allowed through, those who are able and willing to work, because they believe that the constant wildling attacks on the Wall are merely draining resources that could be better placed elsewhere. It seems that there are those within the Watch who agree with this belief, and want it to happen."
"And where would they settle these wildlings?" the man asks, his lip curling up in disgust at the mere thought of it.
"I believe they'd settle them within castles along the Wall and some within the Gift." Luwin replies.
"Settling wildlings south of the wall, what nonsense is this?" the man muses aloud. "I take it the faction that has formed under Allister Thorne is deeply opposed to this?"
"Yes my lord, quite stringently so. They argue that the wildlings are only an extra burden that would do nothing to help their present situation." Luwin says.
The false Stark lord nods. "There is some sense in what those who are with Thorne argue. The wildlings have always been a fierce people not good at kneeling or keeping their mouths shut when they should have done. I do not think they would have gotten better since the time of the Horned Lord either. Perhaps the time is coming for them to be dealt a firm hand."
"My lord?" Luwin asks, not sure he will like where this is going.
The man looks at him intently. "Do your contacts within the Watch know what it is the wildlings are escaping from? Have they managed to bring in a wildling that survived the attacks?"
Luwin nods. "Several my lord. They give different descriptions, some say they are merely coming south as a probative attack in preparation for Mance Rayder's main attack, whilst others say they are running from something."
The man leans forward intently then. "Did they say what they were running from?"
Luwin thinks for a moment, there had been a lot of mumbled and confused explanations from the various reports he had read, and as such he is not sure which one to give to this man who stands before him, looking all the world like a Stark, but most definitely not the right Stark to sit in Winterfell. "I am not sure my lord; the explanations were confused."
"There must have been a common explanation. The wildlings are not always right when it comes to things, but they know things when they run." The man replies impatiently.
Luwin hesitates, uncertainty and fear of being laughed at for the fact that he believes that there might be more to their explanations than he is willing to let on, mixing within him. Eventually he speaks. "They claim to be running away from death and winter. Something that has taken on its form."
He expects the man before him to laugh, but then, he is reminded that the mere fact that this man is alive is proof enough that perhaps there are somethings within this world that they cannot truly discount. "So that is what it is then. They are coming back."
"My lord?" Luwin asks hesitantly.
"Do you know of the Horn of Winter maester?" the man asks.
"Yes." Luwin replies immediately, knowing where this is going, and not quite believing it.
"Well then, you know where I am going then." The man responds, and with that he turns and walks out of the room leaving Luwin blinking in surprise after him.