With so many heading back south, it would have been foolish to attempt for everyone to head back all at once. In order to prevent chaos or trouble. As well as the devastation of larders, Robb organized his army's departure by region.
The warriors of Dorne, led by Oberyn Martell, left first and were given a two-day start before the men of the Reach, led by Mathis Rowan, left on the third day. The Stormlanders, led by Lord Caron and Edric Baratheon, went third. Gendry was one of the few who didn't join them, electing to ride with the others to Winterfell to pay his respects to Lord Stark.
Jaime Lannister and the men of the Westerlands were fourth. The new lord of Heart's Home, Lucas Corbray, led the warriors of the Vale next, proudly carrying the sword of his family at his side. The young lord was one of the few nobles from the Vale who wasn't traveling to Winterfell with Robb and Jon to honor their late father. The ironborn left after the valemen, heading southwest towards Eagle's Roost where their longships were kept.
Lord Harlaw had been summoned to the Nightfort after the battle to retrieve the sword of his house, Nightfall. The older lord had been sad to hear of the death of his cousin and heir, but he knew that death was inevitable in war and was quick to put forth a name of who should succeed him in the event that he doesn't marry or have children.
Asha Greyjoy.
Harlaw had been adamant that Asha should follow him as Lord Paramount and Warden of the Iron Islands. Asha was his niece through his sister Alannys, but there was more to Harlaw's decision than that. Harlaw was confident that he could find a cousin of his that could take over Ten Towers, but he had explained that Asha was much smarter and a better leader than any of his other cousins and that she would not make the same mistakes as her father.
When Harlaw had spoken to Robb, Jon had been present as well since he had practically been his brother's shadow since the end of the war. When the man made his case to the pair, Jon had added that Asha had protected Lord Glover's wife and child from her own soldiers while the Company of the Rose retook Deepwood Motte from the ironborn during the war.
In the end, Robb had promised to think about and would send Harlaw his answer after he had returned to King's Landing.
The army of the Riverlands had been led home by Ser Patrek Mallister, Lord Mallister's son and heir. Much like with Lucas Corbray, there had been many high lords from the Riverlands who wanted to show support for the late Lord Hoster's daughter and to say goodbye to a man they all admired and respected.
For the men of the North, since almost every lord of the North was returning to Winterfell with Robb, it had been left to the captains and the occasional knight to lead the northmen back to their homes.
Thoros and his company joined Robb as he rode south, but would not stay long at Winterfell. They would stay for a day before continuing towards High Heart to re-establish themselves in the middle of Westeros, their ranks somewhat replenished with former Brothers of the Night's Watch and the occasional wildlings who had an adventurous heart. They also carried those who would be put on ships at White Harbor and sent to Essos.
The Skagosi left at the same time as the ironborn, heading back to their island and their solitude. The Magnar who had recited the oath of Jon's father had made it clear that, with the end of the Long Night, the Skagosi would go back to their former ways of living and would "appreciate" it if the northerners left them alone.
Jon promised to pass the message along to the next lord of the North.
The clansmen of the Vale had left a day after the dornish host, wanting to return to their lands before the men of the Vale did. They had disappeared in the night, their mistrust for the valemen having returned in full force. Robb, Lord Royce, and Lord Harrold all agreed that their disappearance was probably for the best.
As castles along the Wall were emptied, Mance had leaders of his choosing ready with their warriors to take control. The former wildling monarch had made it clear that there would be no fighting or raiding, either against the people of the North or other free folk tribes. The penalty for such actions would be death. The new lords, not wanting to give up their new power so quickly, readily agreed to the terms.
Mance had already cemented his place at Castle Black, leaving only the Nightfort.
Many, including Jon, had been curious as to who will watch over the castle while Jon is away. The problem had been fixed when Qhorin Halfhand approached the new lord of the Nightfort, saying that there were roughly three hundred former members of the Watch who had no wish to return to the south and would gladly serve as Jon's garrison.
Jon had immediately accepted the offer and had named the Halfhand as his steward to run the castle in his absence. Both Bowen Marsh and Othell Yarwyck had been a part of the group, meaning that the leadership council that had been in place at Castle Black had simply transferred to the Nightfort and would defer to Jon when he was there.
All these decisions had been made during the three months Robb and his armies had stayed at the Wall, repairing the damages done by the Others and destroying the remains of their undead army.
Now, Robb and Jon led their host out of the Nightfort and marched south towards Winterfell, but neither carried Ice. That honor had been given to their Uncle Benjen.
When the brothers had seen their uncle after the death of their father, the reunion had nearly broken all three.
Flashback
The next morning, Jon and Robb had been roused by a servant saying that there was a man in black standing by the blackened spot where their father had been burned. Apparently, the sentries spotted him arrive, but he never entered the castle. He went straight to where the spot was and had been standing there for hours.
It wasn't hard for Jon to realize who the man in black was. It had taken a bit for him and Robb to realize that Uncle Benjen had missed the funeral, but they were confident that he would arrive when he felt like it and the three of them would mourn together, as a family should.
As the men of the castle rose with the sun and began to collect their food before heading out beyond the Wall, Jon and Robb rode out to see their uncle alone. Brienne had offered to go, stating that she was still kingsguard, but Robb had waved aside her suggestion, stating that Ghost and Jon were more than enough protection. If Brienne so wished, she could watch him from the gate, but this was a family affair.
Brienne had dropped the argument and sat on her horse just outside the gate, watching her charge.
When the brothers reached their uncle, the older man didn't turn around to greet them with his usual smile. In fact, he didn't seem to notice their presence in the slightest until they were standing on either side of him.
Benjen's cheeks were wet with tears, and for once, his eyes that were usually filled with humor showed nothing but sorrow for his slain sibling.
"Brandon, Lyanna, and now Ned," Benjen muttered finally. "Gods, am I the last?"
"No, Uncle," Jon said immediately. "You are not the last. You still have Robb, me, Arya, Sansa, Bran, Rickon, and Catelyn. You still have family who loves you, Uncle."
Benjen crouched, his hand grazing the patch of burnt grass. He grunted.
"Ned. Quiet Ned. Good Ned. He simply couldn't help but be the hero," Benjen said, his voice a few tattered pieces of sarcasm and sorrow. "It's not surprising that he was the best of us. Brandon was headstrong and brash. Lyanna was stubborn and willful. Both led themselves to an early grave. I left Winterfell as soon as I could to join the Night's Watch. I saw what happened to all who were touched by southern politics and wanted no part of it. The Night's Watch was the only place I could go and be away from it while still being close to my family. I ran the first chance I had." Benjen shook his head.
"But Ned―solid, stalwart, brave Ned―he was the best of us. Honorable, courageous, righteous, and loyal to a fault. The man who always did what he thought was right, others be damned. Gods, he wasn't even forty name days."
Jon looked towards Robb, wondering if he had anything to say that would help their uncle, but his brother merely shook his head. The message was obvious. People grieved in their own ways, and sometimes there were simply no words that would help.
Robb knelt next to Benjen and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Food and ale will be waiting for you, Uncle, when you're ready to come and join us," Robb said gently before rising to his feet and gesturing for Jon to follow as he walked back to his horse.
Jon stared at Robb with amazement. For just a moment, the brooding, grieving brother he had become accustomed to after the battle had been replaced with the caring, warm Robb that Jon had always known.
Perhaps the Robb Jon knew and loved was still in there, somewhere. He, like all the others, just needed time to come back out.
Flashback
Neither Jon nor Robb knew what their uncle would do now. The Night's Watch was effectively disbanded, but there were still plenty of opportunities for their uncle. Thoros had quietly let Robb know that he would have a place for Benjen among the ranks of his captains if the former ranger wanted it. It was also obvious that Robb would find a place in court for Benjen in King's Landing if needed.
Jon knew that Benjen would appreciate the kindness showed to him by Robb and Thoros, but in the end, Jon believed that his uncle would remain in the North, most likely in Winterfell to help Lady Catelyn run things since both Bran and Rickon were far too young to rule the North.
But, that was a conversation for another time.
Line Break
Jon couldn't help but tear up as he watched Uncle Benjen present Ice to Lady Catelyn before the assembled soldiers, lords, and servants. Robb had stood off the side, clutching Arya and Rickon by his sides since he had been the first to greet his mother when they entered Winterfell. Jon, Lord Royce, and all the others had come in behind Robb and Benjen and now watched silently as the Lady of Winterfell received the terrible news that she had been dreading about ever since Robert's Rebellion.
Lady Catelyn, to her credit, stayed strong with so many looking at her, but she had been unable to keep the tears from her eyes when Benjen knelt and held the blade up to her.
"Thank you, Ben," she said quietly as she took the sword and handed it off to her steward, who wore a stone mask. As the sword was taken away, Benjen embraced his goodsister, holding her tightly.
When Benjen moved to hug both Rickon and Arya, Lady Catelyn addressed the assembled lords.
"Thank you, my lords, for helping bring my husband home," she said, her voice wavering but not breaking. "I know that it would bring him immense joy to see so many of his friends again. We will feast tonight, and tomorrow, we shall lay my husband to rest in the crypts with the rest of his house."
When she had made it through her speech without falling apart, Lady Catelyn immediately disappeared inside the keep, Robb following her.
Jon turned and held out the stone jar that held his father's ashes to the Greatjon, who looked surprised that Jon would such a thing.
"Take my father to the godswood," Jon said quietly. "I will join you shortly."
The Greatjon took the jar and nodded firmly. "Take as much time as you need, lad," he said before looking as he peers. "Come on, you lot. Ned should be close to the gods."
As the Greatjon led a procession of northern lords and some valemen and rivermen, Jon approached his siblings. Arya was the first to reach him as she practically slammed into him, hugging him as if he would disappear the moment she let go.
Jon leaned down and kissed the top of her head softly.
"You protected Winterfell," Jon said quietly. "You protected our home."
"Didn't help," Arya sobbed into Jon's leathers. "Father is still dead."
"Aye, he is, but there's nothing you could have done, Arya," Jon said, kneeling so that he was at eye level with his sister. "Arya, there was nothing any of us could have done. If Father wouldn't have done what he did, you would be mourning two brothers instead of one father." Jon looked away for a second and cleared his throat before looking back at his sister. "Arya, I know it's hard. I wish that things were different. That me, Robb, and Father could have come back together, but this is the nature of war. Not everyone comes back."
Arya bit her lip and nodded slowly. Jon pulled her back into another hug before rising to his feet, holding her close to his side.
"Come on, let's go to the godswood," Jon said. "I think we all need to pray."
That night, a great feast was held for Father. Just as they did at the Nightfort, lords came up to Lady Stark offering their condolences and explaining how highly they all thought of her late husband. Lady Stark had accepted all their sentiments with a few small nods and some soft words before the men returned to the feast.
From the moment that Lady Stark entered the room, Robb had been on her right and Ser Brynden and her brother Edmure had been on her left. When they were seated, Rickon sat next to Robb while Arya and Jon took up the end of the table. On the other side, Garlan and Harrold Arryn sat to the left of Edmure.
Jon spent the night speaking with Arya before Gendry Baratheon appeared and the two of them disappeared for a few minutes. When they were gone, Jon took the time to mingle with the rest of the guests. The Greatjon had gotten drunk and was singing songs with Rickard Karstark as the two older men downed tankard after tankard. Lord Mallister was retelling Battle of the Bells while Lord Royce was sharing stories about the adventures he, Ned, and Robert Baratheon had gotten into when all three were in the Vale.
The mood in the hall was still sad, but there were some light notes about it. Many of the northern lords were beginning to share stories about Jon's father with the lords of the Riverlands while the men of the Vale and the Stormlands were firmly invested in Lord Royce's stories.
"This is what Ned would have wanted," Uncle Benjen said, appearing at Jon's side as the two looked out over the hall. "He wouldn't have wanted his hall to be dead quiet. He would have wanted his friends to drink and be happy, even after his death. Ned knew better than most that there was a time to grieve, but that there was also a time to live life."
"He was a smart man," Jon said with a slight smile, tapping his tankard against his uncle's.
"Aye, and he raised some great sons," Benjen replied with his own smile before it diminished slightly. "How's Robb?"
Jon looked at his brother, who was talking quietly to his mother. It was clear that the two had grieved together after Lady Catelyn had disappeared back inside the keep. Robb had steeled himself, knowing that he was going to need to be there for his mother, but this made him hard to read for Jon.
"I think he'll be fine in the end," Jon said finally. "He just needs to realize that he needs to heal like all the others. He'll spend his time being there for others, but eventually, he'll have to come to terms with what happened and how none of it was his fault."
"Will you be there to help him?" Uncle Benjen asked. "Or are you heading back to the Nightfort?"
"I ride for the Nightfort when Robb leaves for King's Landing," Jon answered. "But I don't mind not accompanying Robb to King's Landing. There's someone much better than me waiting for him there. She'll be able to help him better than I ever could."
"Must be a remarkable woman," Benjen said, taking a drink.
"Oh, she is," Jon said, quite certain of the fact that the queen will be able to help Robb out of the hole of despair he seems content to dig for himself. "What of yourself, Benjen Stark? Where will you go?"
Benjen shook his head. "Nowhere. I already told Cat that I had no intention of leaving Winterfell or her behind. Apparently, Bran has removed himself as Ned's heir, leaving Rickon to assume the lordship of Winterfell when he is old enough. Someone has to do the duties that are required of the Lord of Winterfell that Cat simply can't. I will fill that role until Rickon is of age."
"I'm sure Lady Catelyn will be happy to have you around, Uncle," Jon said, clapping his uncle on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Jon," Uncle said with a smile. "I know that Robb would have found something for me in the south, but I am a Stark and I have a duty to Winterfell and her people."
"Well said, Uncle," Robb said, approaching the pair. "I'm sorry to interrupt the conversation, but Maester Byron has something that he thinks we all should see."
Line Break
Byron was waiting for them in the lord's solar, holding a single scroll in his hands. Once Jon, and the others―Robb, Arya, Benjen, and Lady Stark―had taken seats in the room, the maester had handed the scroll to Robb before bowing and leaving.
Robb slowly opened the scroll and began to read, his voice cracking with every line.
My family,
When tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see
If the sun should rise,
And find your eyes
All filled with tears for me
I wish, so much, you wouldn't cry, the way you did today
While thinking of the many things, we did not get to say
I know how much you love me, as much as I love you
And each time that you think of me, I know you miss me too
But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand
That the gods came and called my name, and took me by the hand
They said my place was ready, with our ancestors far above
That I'd have to leave behind, all those I dearly love
Love,
Ned Stark
Jon, Arya, Robb, and Lady Catelyn all burst into tears as soon as the last few words were read, but it was Uncle Benjen who surprised them all but chuckling a little, covering his mouth as tears slid down his cheeks.
"It was an ancient song that we learned as children," Benjen explained quietly, clearing his throat. "He remembered it, after all these years. He knew. That old devil knew."
There were no more words said after that as each of the Starks lost themselves in the memories they had of Eddard Stark. Father, Husband, and Brother.