𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 || 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒓𝒚 𝑶𝒖𝒕

𝑨𝒄𝒕 𝑽: 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑰

꧁꧁~~~𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒌~~~꧂꧂
꧁꧁~~~300 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕~~~꧂꧂

꧁Is this how Father felt?- Ben asked himself. He thought that question nearly a half dozen times since the morning of training began. Of course he had to go a few rounds, helping here and there where he could, but overall, he aloud Jon to take control of the session, allowing him to be the teacher, not the student. And he felt as if this is what Ned Stark must have felt every day watching his sons play around in the yard, getting into trouble, getting hurt and laughing about it, training, all of it. Ben felt as though he were in his father's boots right then, and he felt pride in the fact he felt for the first time that he was beginning to fill them.

But of course, there were those who would tend to disagree. Ben stood back, the tip of the training sword he had been using touched the ground, hands resting on the pommel, sort of leaning on the sword itself. Ser Alliser was up and walking, much to Ben's annoyance. He did not wish the man dead, he would not sink as low as he, but to have served him his dinner in bed was amusing enough the first time, he wishes he got the chance for a second.

Ser Alliser Thorne wore the scowel on his face that had become so uniquely his look. But Ben knew of a man that could challenge that look. Taking a glance up the Wall, his eyes trailing up the freezing cold structure of gods only know what kind of magic and sorcery, he thought about the would-be King of the Seven Kingdoms, Stannis Baratheon.

"Ser."

He shook his thoughts on Stannis. Ben had learned from a very early age to listen to conversations he shouldn't, hearing things he otherwise should not have heard, but did regardless. But they should have learned from an early age not to talk of private matters in such a place. He didn't even need to look behind him across the courtyard to see it was Bowen Marsh, the First Steward of the Night's Watch, speaking now to Ser Alliser and his lapdog, Janos Slynt.

"Have you heard of the choosing that is to be happening?"

"Of course he has. The man himself is running, the same as I!"

Lord Janos proclaimed, and Ben shook his head with a smirk, his eyes still looking at Jon and the others train. He watched as Jon continued to beat back the boy, Olly, the one Jon had seemed to take a shining to. It was amusing to see Jon act like an older brother again. The last time..felt like a lifetime ago.

"But Stannis.."

Marsh spoke almost in a hushed tone, though it made no difference as he could still hear him and his conversation.

"..the men have been saying that he's going to interfere in the election. So it might not even be a choosing at all!"

"The Night's Watch and it's traditions have stood for thousands of years, Lord Marsh. King Stannis can call himself just that all he likes, but king nor conqueror has a say in the politics here. I promise you this, my friend; there will be a choosing, all the Black Brothers will cast their stones, and when they do, I will lead the Night's Watch down a better path than its been on."

Ser Alliser sounded so sure of himself that it nearly made Ben gag. But he then chuckled when he heard Janos Slynt grumble in annoyance. Of course they were speaking of the next choosing. They acted as if Mormont were not killed mere months prior. The biggest regret Ben had then was that he could not save the man. For all of his faults, the mistakes he made with his family, his sister and his son, Jeor Mormont was a great man. But now crows have come to feast on his corpse.