This chapter is really our first look at life for Jon Snow as a new recruit to the NIght’s Watch. It opens with Jon training in the practice yard against a fellow new recruit Grenn. It’s pretty clear that Jon is far superior to Grenn as he strikes him cleanly a few times and ends up disarming him with a hit to his wrist.
Overseeing the training of the new recruits is Ser Alliser Thorne, the master at arms of Castle Black. Alliser takes a hard approach to training. He is verbally abusive giving nicknames to the trainees and insulting them when they fail.
Ser Alliser Thorne: “The bastard hamstrung you, opened your empty skull, and cut off your hand. Or would have if these blades had an edge. It’s fortunate for you the watch needs stable boys as well as rangers.”
Grenn has been given the nickname the Aurochs and Jon has been given the name Lord Snow, which much to his dismay has caught on with the other recruits. Jon is also being trained with about twenty other recruits, but hasn’t made friends with any of them as of yet. After the practice he finds himself walking back to the armory alone. Some of the other recruits are Jeren, Todder AKA Toad, Daeron, Pyp, and Halder. Jon has defeated them all in the yard and figured out their weaknesses in spite of most of them being two to three years older than he is.
As Jon is removing his armor back in the armory he notices how cold it really is at the Wall and briefly laments how nice it was back at Winterfell. This is only a minor passage but worth noting since it was also part of Bran’s dream sequence in his previous chapter, just as he had visions of the circumstances of his sisters, mother and father were all experiencing at the time. This is noteworthy as a few passages later Jon has a brief vision or an image in his mind of his uncle Benjen lying dead in the snow.
He thinks back to just three days after he arrived and noted his uncle Benjen didn’t pay him mind and is more focused on his duties as the First Ranger. Benjen even explained to Jon that at the Wall you have to earn everything, and since Jon is just a new recruit he’s not all that important at this point. Benjen even says he is nothing but a boy until he proves himself to be a man of the Night’s Watch, and further lets him know that family ties will not buy him any favors.
Jon even recalls one day he saw Benjen off at dawn before he went out ranging beyond the wall. Benjen reminded Jon that he has to prove himself he does tell Jon they will talk when he gets back.
Needless to say nether the Wall nor the Night’s Watch is what Jon expected and he is also feeling a bit homesick, missing his half sisters and brothers.
As Jon is musing over his new life his pondering is interrupted by Grenn, Toad and two others who are unhappy in how badly they have been getting beaten by Jon in the practice yard. A fight starts, where Jon seems to be giving as good as he is taking even though he is outnumbered four to one. Before any real harm can be done the fight gets broken up by Donal Noye the one armed blacksmith.
Donal dismisses the others to receive attention and to return to their quarters but instructs Jon to remain behind. He sits Jon down and explains a few things to him that Jon really hasn’t considered.
First he tells Jon to get over being disappointed. He signed up and it’s too late to go back now. Noye also talks to Jon about his attitude. He tells him he is acting like he is better than everyone else and that he is not only bullying the boys in the yard but he is humiliating them as well and that is nothing for him to be proud of.
Jon is taken aback by the notion that he’s a bully. In his view he is easily superior and he does admit internally that besting people older than he is a source of pride. He also keeps in mind that he is younger than the other recruits he defeats in practice.
Noye points out to Jon that those he beats are scared of him, and most likely never held a weapon before arriving at the wall, unlike Jon who was trained by the master at arms Ser Rodrik Cassel. That realization does seem to bring Jon down to earth a bit.
We also learn a bit about Donal Noye. He was a blacksmith who forged Robert Baratheon’s great war hammer, and lost his arm during the siege of Storm's End during the rebellion. Donal then came to the wall in his thirties as his life as he knew it was over.
This is a sort of juxtapose with Jon as Donal is someone who has lived life, fought in wars, and really had a chance before coming to the wall to start a new life as a member of the Night’s Watch. Jon by comparison never did those things. He was raised and trained in Winterfell and then went to the Wall without any other life experiences to speak of prior.
This is also something that Jon’s uncle Benjen warned him about and even tried to convince Jon to live life a bit before deciding to commit to the Night’s Watch. Jon has a bit of angst and some regrets that he never thought he would have when he was back at Winterfell.
As much as Jon doesn’t like the notion that the other recruits are now his brothers Donal reminds him that his commitment is for life and that Jon better be careful or else the other recruits might try to kill him in his sleep.
Essentially Donal’s advice is that regardless of how Jon may think or feel about the other members of the watch, he has to live with them and get along. Should he keep going down the road he seems to be set on he will find a lot more enemies than friends. Noye sends Jon off to go and think on his situation.
While looking up at the wall Tyrion strikes up a conversation with Jon. Tyrion asks if Jon wants to know what is on the other side and while he does wish to know what is beyond the wall Jon pretends he doesn’t as he has learned it’s not a good idea to let others know what your desires are. Unfortunately we are never given a good reason as to why.
Perhaps it’s due to being a new recruit and he fears Ser Alliser will use whatever he learns in training against him. He could also be a bit paranoid at being manipulated by the other members on the wall who might use such information for their own ends. Regardless Jon keeps quiet his true desire to go ranging beyond the wall.
Tyrion notices that Jon doesn’t like the nickname he has been given of Lord Snow and offers the following advice:
Tyrion: “Would you rather be called the Imp? Let them see that their words can cut you, and you’ll never be free of the mockery. If they want to give you a name, take it, make it your own. Then they can’t hurt you with it anymore.”
The two go for a walk to the common hall and on the way they discuss that Ghost is being kept in separate stables from the horses and also the notable conditions of disrepair the castle has fallen into.
Castle Black apparently used to house 5,000 fighting men along with the mounts and servants. But now it’s home to roughly 500 men and they can’t keep up the repairs. We learn that there are nineteen castles/strongholds along the wall but only three of them are manned. Eastwatch by the sea, the Shadow Tower by the mountains and Castle Black in the middle. All the others are deserted.
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| That's a lot of empty castles! |
Tyrion also mentions that Benjen has been gone too long and Jon recalls his vision of his uncle lying dead in the snow. We also learn that Benjen went out to find Ser Waymar Royce who was killed off in the Prologue by the Others.
When they sit down in the common hall they get mutton stew, but before they can eat Ser Alliser Thorne tells Jon that Lord Commander Mormont wishes to see him. Jon initially assumes it’s bad news about his uncle, but after Tyrion threatens Alliser he does reveal that the Lord Commander has news from Winterfell concerning Jon’s brother.
Assuming the worst Jon runs off to Lord Jeor Mormont. Mormont gives Jon the letter and he learns that Bran has awoken and will live. Jon is so delighted by this news that he runs back to the common hall and shares the news with Tyrion.
Jon at this point even apologizes to Grenn for the wound he inflicted and offers to help him get better.
Alliser Thorne decides to get a barb in by suggesting that Jon will have a harder time teaching Grenn to fight than he would teaching a wolf to juggle. Jon taking Tyrion's advice makes a joke of the situation and accepts the challenge claiming he would like to see his direwolf Ghost learn how to juggle.
This gets a laugh from Tyrion, the trainees and even the cooks. Ser Alliser however is not amused at being made the butt of Jon's joke and tells him he has made a very grievous error.
This is the start of Jon’s evolution and also starts to bring in elements of him becoming into a leader. As we saw in prior chapters Jon is perceptive when it comes to others. He noticed the fear that had terrorized Gared the deserter in Brans first chapter, and also noted it wasn’t fear of punishment that Ned was about to deliver. Further he also noticed the sullen mood of both Ned and Queen Cersei at the dinner in Winterfell. Lastly he has also been able to break down individual tactics and fighting styles of his fellow recruits, suggesting a keen eye to detail that he has been able to meet with application of tactics.
By making a joke at Ser Alliser Thorne’s expense while offering to help his fellow recruits get better Jon is unifying people who all are dealing with the same problem.
Another thing that we shall see is that Jon seems to be taking to heart good advice provided to him by those around him that he trusts. He replied to Ser Alliser “Lord Snow” remark with a joke of his own, taking Tyrions advice, and is offering to help the other recruits to become better and face the challenges taking to heart the advice of Donal Noye.
This also shows another quality of a good leader. The ability to think and adapt quickly. Thinking on one's feet is vital in a battle and being able to make quick adjustments on the fly can mean the difference between life and death.
One final thing I’d like to mention here is the “vision” that Jon has of his uncle Benjen lying dead in the snow. It’s interesting that Jon gets this vision and not Bran who until now has certainly had the most vivid dreams and visions with some sustenance.
But here is the question that I hope to answer as things move forward. Are these “visions” prophecy or are they merely relating things that are happening or happened recently?
If it’s prophecy then one has to ask if it’s set in stone, or if it’s a prediction that may or may not come to pass depending on the actions of the person receiving the vision. .
Most all of Bran’s coma dream vision was of things that were happening at that point in time. Rob training, the maester practicing astronomy, Hodor moving an anvil, his mom traveling on a boat, his sister's troubles on the way to King's Landing, etc.
In fact very little of it seemed to actually be prophetic in nature and a lot of it were more like updates on current events. So we have to wonder about the nature of Jon’s vision. Is it a premonition or is it just a flash of insight of things that have occurred?
For now lets consider this, the visions that Bran received up to this point regarding his family members and people who he knows well have been pretty accurate. So we have no reason to believe that the vision Jon has of his uncle Benjen is any less accurate.
Visions, prophecy, dreams, premonitions and the significance and meanings behind them are all recurring themes through out the books and a topic we will visit time and again.
Now I fully realize that you can never be fully certain a character is dead in A Song of Ice and Fire unless it's confirmed on page and even then it's not 100% certain. But it's a pretty good bet that Benjen Stark has somehow met his end somewhere beyond the wall.
