In Winterfell, in the Great Hall.
Robb sat beside Ned, listless. He stared at the fried fish on his plate, but had no appetite.
After parting from Galon, he had gathered everyone who'd gone to the scene where Bran was found and questioned them one by one.
Their answers were nearly identical — they said they heard Hodor's cry and went to help, and there was nothing suspicious in their words.
Hodor, who'd been first to find Bran, could only babble "Hodor, Hodor."
He was slow of wit and the two boys could not extract anything useful from him.
Robb tried every approach, even persuading Hodor's great-aunt to interpret gestures, but in the end they had nothing.
With no leads, Robb had decided to return to the hall and see how Galon and Jon were faring. But when he arrived he found they had not yet come back.
Robb scanned the hall. Ned was dining with the King and Queen.
Theon and the dwarf Tyrion sat at another table, eating.
Jaime Lannister, in golden armor with a sword at his hip, stood behind Cersei, watching Robb as he entered.
Robb had barely opened his mouth when Ned stopped him and asked him to remain and dine with the King. Robb had no choice but to sit beside his father.
Robert noticed Robb's lack of appetite and, understanding his worry for Bran, set down his knife and fork and asked:
"Robb, how goes the inquiry? Have you found someone who would harm Bran?"
At that question, Theon at the other table flinched as if hearing something dreadful.
The cup in his hand slipped and fell, smashing on the floor with a heavy crash.
The sound drew startled looks. Cersei's face stilled; she shot Theon an angry glare that made him even more nervous.
He stammered, "S-sorry," then bent to pick up the broken pieces with his bandaged right hand.
Tyrion watched all this with a thoughtful look.
Jaime frowned slightly and muttered a contemptuous word under his breath, then offered, "You say you're seeking a murderer? Was Bran not simply the one who fell from the tower?"
Robb turned to the Kingslayer, explaining:
"My brother Bran is a talented climber. He's climbed that wall many times and never had an accident before. This time he fell — I worry someone harmed him."
At this Cersei's irritation ebbed; she replied, "He is only ten. Even grown men slip. Better you think how to save him than hunt ghosts. The poor boy hasn't even woken."
Robert gave Cersei a sharp look. "If you have nothing useful to say, hold your tongue."
Then he looked to Robb. "Where are that slayer's trophy and your bastard brother? Why aren't they here?"
By now Galon's nickname from the day's hunt had spread through Winterfell — "the bear-slayer" — and word of his killing the giant bear and saving Joffrey had reached Jaime and Tyrion, who were both astonished.
Robb said, "After leaving Bran's chamber we split up. Galon and Jon went to inspect the tower; I collected eyewitness accounts and searched for clues.
But the first person to touch Bran was Hodor — he's not coherent and I couldn't get anything from him."
Jaime and Cersei exchanged a glance and both relaxed a little.
Ned shook his head; he hadn't had high hopes for what Galon and Jon might have found.
"That spot's been trampled since Bran's fall. Even if there were clues, people have probably destroyed them. They may as well have wasted their time."
"Not necessarily."
At that moment Galon and Jon burst into the hall. "Lord Stark, Your Majesty, Jon and I made some discoveries at the ruined tower."
Their words snapped the room to attention. Ned and Robert rose in unison. "What did you find?"
Galon stepped forward and signaled to Jon to bring out the wooden box with the gathered moss. Jon placed it on the table and opened it.
Everyone leaned in.
Inside lay pieces of moss stained with dark spots and with an odd, milky residue.
Ned stared, incredulous. Galon pointed at the contents.
"Jon and I searched the tower stairs. The place where Bran fell has been trampled, so the ground gave us nothing.
But along the moss-covered steps we found marks that look like footprints."
"Look closely," he continued. "From the base of the tower to the top, on dozens of steps, there are drops of blood on the moss — clear and repeating.
And inside the top room itself there are several traces of blood as well."
He swept his gaze over the assembly and said with quiet certainty, "So I am convinced Bran's fall was not an accident. Someone did this deliberately."
At Galon's words Cersei's composure vanished; she looked toward Jaime with panic in her eyes.
Jaime, for a breath, became tense too — then forced his calm back.
He gave Cersei a slight shake of the head, urging her to relax, and turned a cold eye on Theon, inwardly calling him useless.
Jaime's hand drifted toward his sword in a motion meant to intimidate; Tyrion noticed at once.
He realized how tightly Jaime and Cersei were bound to this affair and his face grew serious.
He reached for a cup and drank, thinking through how to respond. Then Tyrion stepped closer to the box and pointed at the pale residue.
"Galon, what's this?"
Galon glanced at him and shook his head. "I cannot say for certain. The residue was found alongside the blood, but their locations differ.
I plan to have Maester Luwin analyze it. Lord Stark, do you agree?"
Ned nodded and turned to Theon. "Theon, go fetch Maester Luwin."
Theon, however, remained frozen, eyes fixed on the moss in the box, panic written across his face.
"Theon?" Ned called again, puzzled.
Galon's gaze landed on Theon's bandaged right wrist and he noticed the staining. Suddenly his expression changed. "Ah — so it was you who left the blood."
Robert, leaning forward, sniffed at the box out of curiosity. The scent struck him with a sudden recognition.
"What a strange, familiar smell," he muttered. "It's like… like the fluids left behind after an assignation."
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