A Game of Thrones (9)-Tyrion

Somewhere in the Great stone maze of Winterfell, a wolf howled. The sound hung through the castle like a flag of mourning.

Tyrion Lannister looked up from he books and shivered, though the library was snug and warm. Something about the howling of a wolf took a mans right out of the he and now and left him in a dark forest of the mind, Running naked before the pack.

When the Direwolf howled again, Tyrion shut the heavy Leather-bound cover on the book he was reading, a hundred-year-old D Iscourse on the changing of the seasons by a Long-dead maester. He covered a yawn with the hand. His reading lamp is flickering, its oil all but gone, as dawn light leaked through the high windows. He had been at the it all night and that is nothing new. Tyrion Lannister was isn't much a one for sleeping.

His legs were stiff and sore as he eased off the bench. He massaged some life back into them and limped heavily to the table where the Septon is snoring softly, his head pillowe D on a open book in front of him. Tyrion glanced at the title. A Life of the Grand Maester aethelmure, no wonder. "Chayle," he said softly. The young mans jerked up, blinking, confused, and the crystal of his order swinging wildly in its silver chain. "I ' m off to break my fast. See this return the books to the shelves. Be gentle with The Valyrian scrolls, the parchment is very dry. Ayrmidon ' s Engines of War is quite rare, and yours are the only complete copy I ' ve ever seen. " Chayle gaped at him, still half-asleep. Patiently, Tyrion repeated his instructions, then clapped the Septon in the shoulder and left him to his tasks.

Outside, Tyrion swallowed a lungful of the cold morning air and began his laborious descent of the steep stone steps that Corkscrewed around the exterior of the library tower. It was slow going; The steps were cut high and narrow, while he legs were short and twisted. The rising sun had not yet cleared the walls of Winterfell, but the men were already hard at it in the yard below. Sandor Clegane ' s rasping voice drifted up to him. The boy is a long time dying. I wish he would was quicker about it. "

Tyrion glanced down and saw the hound standing with young Joffrey as squires swarmed around them. "At least he dies quietly," the prince replied. "It's The wolf that makes the noise. I could scarce sleep last night. "

Clegane cast a long shadow across the hard-packed Earth as his squire lowered the black helm on his head. "I could silence the creature, if it please," he said through his open visor. His boy placed a longsword and his hand. He tested the weight of it, slicing at the cold morning air. Behind him, the yard rang to the clangor of steel on steel.

The notion seemed to delight the prince. "Send a dog to kill a dog!" he exclaimed. "Winterfell is so infested with wolves, the Starks would never miss one."

Tyrion hopped off the last step onto the yard. "I Beg to differ, nephew," he said. "The Starks can count past six. Unlike some princes I might name. "

Joffrey had the grace at least to blush.

"A Voice from Nowhere," Sandor said. He peered through his helm, looking the this and that.

"Spirits of the air!"

The prince laughed, as he always laughed when he bodyguard do this mummer ' s farce. Tyrion was used to it. "Here we are."

The tall man peered in the ground, and pretended to notice him. "The Little Lord Tyrion," he said. "My pardons. I did not see you standing there. "

"I am in no mood for your insolence today." Tyrion turned to his nephew. "Joffrey, it's past time you called on the Lord Eddard and his lady, to the offer them your comfort."

Joffrey looked as petulant as only a boy Prince can look. "What good would my comfort do them?"

"None," Tyrion said. "Yet it is expected for you. Your absence has been noted. "

"The Stark boy was nothing to me," Joffrey said. "I cannot abide the wailing of women."

Tyrion Lannister reached up and slapped he nephew hard across the face. The boy's cheek began to redden.

"One word," Tyrion said, "and I'll hit you again."

"I ' m going to tell Mother!" Joffrey exclaimed.

Tyrion hit him again. Now both cheeks flamed.

"You tell your mother," Tyrion told him. "But first you get the yourself to the Lord and Lady Stark, and the fall to your knees in front of the them, and you tell them how Ver Y sorry you are, and so are at their service if there is the slightest thing you can do for them or theirs in this D Esperate hour, and that all your prayers go with them. Do you understand? Do you ? "

The boy looked as though he is going to cry. Instead, he managed a weak nod. Then he turned and fled headlong from the yard, holding his cheek. Tyrion watched him run.

A shadow fell across his face. He turned to find Clegane looming overhead like a cliff. He Sootdark armor seemed to blot out the sun. He had lowered the visor on his helm. It is fashioned in the likeness of a snarling black hound, fearsome to behold, but Tyrion had always thought it a great I Mprovement over Clegane ' s hideously burned face.

"The Prince would remember that, Little Lord," the Hound warned him. The helm turned his laugh into a hollow rumble.

"I Pray he does," Tyrion Lannister replied. "If He forgets, be a good dog and remind him." He glanced around the courtyard. "Do you know where I might find my brother?"

"Breaking fast with the Queen."

"Ah," Tyrion said. He gave Sandor Clegane a perfunctory nod and walked away as briskly as his stunted legs would carry him, whistling. He pitied The first knight to try The Hound today. The man does have a temper.

A cold, cheerless meal had been laid out in the morning Guest house. Jaime sat at table with Cersei and the children, talking in low, hushed voices.

"Is Robert still Abed?" Tyrion asked as he seated himself, uninvited, at the table.

His sister peered at him and the same expression of faint distaste she had worn since the day he was born. "The king has no slept at all," she told him. "He's with the Lord Eddard. He had taken their sorrow deeply to heart. "

"He has a large heart, we Robert," Jaime said with a lazy smile. There was very little that Jaime took seriously. Tyrion knew that on his brother, and forgave it. During all the terrible long years of he childhood, only Jaime had ever shown him the smallest measure of affection or re SPECT, and for that Tyrion is willing to forgive him most anything.

A servant approached. "Bread," Tyrion told him, "and the those little fish, and a mug of that good dark beer to wash them down. Oh, and some bacon. Burn it until it turns black. " The man bowed and moved off. Tyrion turned back to his siblings. Twins, male and female. They looked very much the part of this morning. Both had chosen a deep green that matched their eyes. Their blond curls were all a fashionable tumble, and gold ornaments shone at wrists and fingers and throats.

Tyrion wondered what it would is like to has a twin, and decided that he would rather not know. Bad enough to face himself in a looking glass every day. Another him is a thought too dreadful to contemplate.

Prince Tommen spoke up. "Does you have news of Bran, Uncle?"

"I stopped by the Sickroom last night," Tyrion announced. "There is no change. The master thought a hopeful sign. "

"I don ' t want Brandon to die," Tommen said timorously. He is a sweet boy. Not as he brother, but then Jaime and Tyrion were somewhat less than peas in a pod themselves.

"Lord Eddard had a brother named Brandon as well," Jaime mused. "One of the hostages murdered by Targaryen. It seems to is an unlucky name. "

"Oh, unlucky as all, surely," Tyrion said. The servant brought his plate. He ripped off a chunk of black bread.

Cersei was studying him warily. "What does you mean?"

Tyrion gave her a crooked smile. "Why, but that Tommen could get his wish." The maester thinks the boy may yet live. " He took a sip of beer.

Myrcella gave a happy gasp, the Tommen smiled nervously, but it is not the children Tyrion was watching. The glance that passed between Jaime and Cersei lasted no more than a second, but he does not miss it. Then his sister dropped she gaze to the table. "That's no mercy." These northern gods is cruel to let the child linger in such pain. "

"What were the Maester ' s words?" Jaime asked.

The bacon crunched when he bit into it. Tyrion chewed thoughtfully for a moment and said, "He thinks that if the boy were going to die, he would has done so alre Ady. It has been four days with no change. "

"Would Bran get better, Uncle?" Little Myrcella asked. She had all the mother ' s beauty, and none of her nature.

"He is broken, little one," Tyrion told. "The fall shattered he legs as well. They keep him alive with honey and water, or he would starve to death. Perhaps, if he wakes, he'll be able to eat real food, but he'll never walk again. "

"If he wakes," Cersei repeated. "Is that likely?"

"The Gods Alone know," Tyrion told her. "The Maester only hopes." He chewed some more bread.

"I would swear that Wolf's keeping the boy alive. The creature is outside he window day and night, howling. Every time they chase it away, it returns. The Maester said they closed the window once, to shut out of the noise, and Bran seemed to weaken. When they opened it again, he heart beat stronger. "

The Queen shuddered. "There is something unnatural about those animals," she said. "They is dangerous. I am not having any of them coming south with us. "

Jaime said, "You'll have a hard time stopping them, sister. They follow those girls everywhere. "

Tyrion started on his fish. "Is you leaving soon and then?"

"Not near soon enough," Cersei said. Then she frowned. "Are we leaving?" she echoed. "What are you?" Gods, don ' t tell me, is staying here ?

Tyrion shrugged. "Benjen Stark is returning to the night's Watch with his brother ' s bastard. I had a mind to go with them and see this Wall we had all heard so much of. "

Jaime smiled. "I hope you ' re not thinking of taking the black on us, sweet brother."

Tyrion laughed. "What, me, celibate?" The whores would go begging from Dorne to Casterly Rock. No, I just want to stand on top of the Wall and piss off the edge of the world. "

Cersei stood abruptly. "The Children don ' t need to hear this filth. Tommen, Myrcella, come. " She strode briskly from the morning, She train and She pups trailing behind her.

Jaime Lannister regarded his brother thoughtfully with those cool green eyes. "Stark would never consent to leave Winterfell with his son lingering in the shadow of Death."

"He'll if Robert commands it," Tyrion said. "and Robert would command it. There is nothing, the Lord Eddard can does for the boy in any case. "

"He could end his torment," Jaime said. "I would, if it were my son. It would be a mercy. "

"I advise against putting that suggestion to the Lord Eddard, sweet brother," Tyrion said. "He would not take it kindly."

"Even if the boy does live, he'll be a cripple. Worse than a cripple. A Grotesque. Give me a good clean death. "

Tyrion replied with a shrug this accentuated the twist of his shoulders. "Speaking for the grotesques," he said, "I beg to differ. Death is, and terribly final, while life was full of possibilities. "

Jaime smiled. "You're a perverse little imp, aren ' t you?"

"Oh, yes," Tyrion admitted. I hope the boy does wake. I would is most interested to hear what he might has to say. "

His brother's smile curdled like sour milk. "Tyrion, my sweet brother," he said darkly, "There is times when you give me cause to wonder whose side is on."

Tyrion ' s mouth is full of bread and fish. He took a swallow of strong black beer to wash it all off, and grinned up wolfishly at Jaime. "Why, Jaime, my sweet brother," he said, "Wound me." Know how much I love my family. "

A Game of Thrones (9)-Tyrion