Game of Thrones Page #2

Weeks have passed since we saw the ranger but he seems to

have aged years, his eyes bloodshot and weary, his face

haggard, his clothes filthy and torn.

Ned’s sons, JON SNOW (17), ROBB STARK (17) and BRAN STARK (8)

sit on their own horses (a small pony in Bran’s case).

Jon is slender, darker than his half-brothers, his eyes black

and watchful.

Robb is big and broad, with fair skin and reddish-brown hair.

Bran sits very still, watching the doomed man. He has never

seen an execution before. The prospect of it terrifies him,

but he tries hard to imitate his father’s solemn expression.

The Guardsmen force Gared’s head onto the stump. Ned

dismounts.

His ward, THEON GREYJOY (19), hands over Ned’s sword: Ice, a

beautiful weapon, centuries old. Theon is the only man in the

party wearing a kraken sigil instead of a dire wolf.

Ned peels off his gloves and hands them to JORY CASSEL (30s),

a bull-necked warrior with a heavy mustache.

Ned walks to the stump. He speaks in low tones to Gared, who

responds. We watch this exchange from the boys’ perspective.

Gared’s final words clearly trouble Ned, who studies the

condemned man’s face, judging his honesty.

Bran watches from afar, his head slightly cocked, trying to

make out what Gared is saying.

There is a great weariness in Ned’s eyes as he places both

hands on the hilt of his greatsword.

NED:

In the name of Robert of the House

Baratheon, the First of his Name-

As Ned delivers the formal sentence to the condemned man, Jon

Snow moves closer to Bran.

6.

JON SNOW NED (O.S.)

(whisper) King of the Andals and the

Keep the pony in hand. And First Men, Lord of the Seven

don’t look away. Father will Kingdoms and Protector of the

know if you do. Realm-

Bran keeps his pony well in hand and does not look away.

NED:

I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord

of Winterfell and Warden of the

North, sentence you to die.

Ned lifts Ice high above his head and brings it down.

Blood sprays the swaying grass.

Gared’s head topples off the stump, bounces off a root, and

rolls. When Ned’s back is turned, Theon put his boot on the

head, kicks it away and laughs.

Jon watches this with disgust but says nothing. He turns and

grips Bran’s shoulder.

JON SNOW:

You did well.

It’s only three words, but compliments are hard to come by in

the Stark house. Bran is proud to be treated like a man, but

he cannot look away from the head lying in the tall grass.

EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY

Bran rides with his brothers, his hard-working pony trying to

keep up with the bigger horses.

JON SNOW:

I thought he was brave.

ROBB:

Brave? He was dead of fear. You

could see it in his eyes.

JON SNOW:

What would be in your eyes with

your head on the stump? He died

well. Give him that much.

Robb considers the point for a moment and shrugs, already

losing interest in the subject.

ROBB:

Race you to the bridge?

7.

Jon rolls his eyes as if he’s beyond such juvenile games--

then, without warning, he spurs his horse and gains a good

head start. Robb curses and follows. They gallop off down the

trail, Robb laughing and hooting, Jon silent.

Bran’s pony can’t compete in that race, so he follows slowly

behind, craning his neck to see if he can spot the winner.

NED:

You understand why I did it?

Bran turns in his saddle, startled. On his great warhorse,

Ned looms above him like a giant. Bran nods to his father.

BRAN:

Jon said he was a deserter. He was

in the Night’s Watch and he ran

away.

Even when speaking with his son, Ned constantly surveys his

surroundings, aware of his men’s positions, the possible

sites for an ambush, the angle of the sun.

NED:

True enough, but do you understand

why I had to kill him?

Bran thinks about this for a few seconds, confused.

BRAN:

King Robert has a headsman.

NED:

He does. As did the Targaryen kings

before him.

Ned reaches out to grab the pommel on Bran’s saddle. He

forces the horse and pony to walk very close.

NED:

Our way is the old way. The man who

passes the sentence should swing

the sword.

Bran stares at the massive sword sheathed at Ned’s hip.

BRAN:

Is it true he saw the Others?

Ned stares at his son for a long beat.

8.

NED:

You heard that?

(off Bran’s nod)

The Others have been gone for eight

thousand years.

BRAN:

So he was lying?

NED:

He believed it. A madman sees what

he sees.

They’re interrupted by the sound of hooves; Jon reappears on

the crest of the hill before them, waving urgently.

JON:

Over here!

EXT. RIVERBANK - DAY

Ned’s party reaches the riverbank. Jon has dismounted beside

Robb, who cradles something in his arm.

Bran and Ned stay back with the rest of their party as Jory

and Theon approach the older boys.

When he sees what lies on the ground beside Robb, Theon

curses and pulls his horse away. Jory does the same and yells

to the boys:

JORY:

Get away from it!

ROBB:

She can’t hurt you. She’s dead.

Burning with curiosity, Bran spurs his pony to keep up with

Ned as they approach the others, who are all dismounting.

THEON:

What in hell is it?

Bran finally gets close enough to see.

ROBB:

A wolf.

The dead wolf is impossibly huge, bigger than Bran’s pony.

Its blind eyes crawl with maggots.

THEON:

It’s a freak.

9.

JON:

No. That’s a direwolf.

Ned kneels beside the wolf. Groping under the beast’s head,

he gives a yank and comes up with a foot of shattered antler,

slick with half-dried blood.

THEON:

There hasn’t been a direwolf south

of the Wall for two hundred years.

Jon looks at the bundle beneath Robb’s arm and grins:

JON:

Well... now there are five.

When Bran sees what everyone is staring at his eyes widen. He

moves in to get a closer look at the direwolf pup-- a tiny

ball of gray-black fur, eyes still closed, nuzzling blindly

against Robb’s chest, whimpering.

JORY:

Tough old beast, wasn’t she?

Birthing a litter with an antler in

her throat.

ROBB:

(to Bran)

Go on. You can touch him.

Bran gives the pup a quick, nervous stroke. As he turns:

JON:

Here you go.

Jon thrusts another pup into Bran’s arms. Overjoyed, Bran

plops down in the snow and rubs the wolf pup’s soft fur

against his cheek.

Ned picks up two more helpless pups, one in each hand. Jon

picks up the fifth.

HULLEN (40s), the horse master, frowns at this ill omen.

HULLEN:

Direwolves loose in the realm.

THEON:

Not for long.

Theon draws his sword and reaches for Bran’s pup.

10.

THEON:

Give it here.

BRAN:

No! It’s mine!

Robb speaks to Theon in a commanding tone.

ROBB:

Put your sword away. We’re keeping

them.

Theon bristles at the command.

THEON:

I take orders from your father, not

you.

HULLEN:

It’ll be a mercy to kill them.

BRAN:

No!

Bran looks to Ned for support, but finds none.

NED:

Better a quick death. They won’t

last without their mother.

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