26 replies to this topic

[braulio09]

I was wondering why Yoren took Arya to Winterfell after he realized they were gonna kill Eddard. He was paid by a man (which I suppose is Varys) to take Lord Stark and a boy (Gendry) to the Wall. When this cannot happen, why does he feel the need to protect Arya? The Night's Watch are supposed to remain neutral and scorting a Stark back to Winterfell would definitely be meddling.

Any ideas?

[sumpthy]

Same reason he informed Eddard about Catelyn capturing Tyrion I guess, due to his friendship with Benjen.

I think the TV show handled this better.

[The_Spanish_Inquisition]

He's sworn brother to Benjen, and had previously met and liked Ned. He's loyal to the Stark family, in his own way. Yoren seems like an honorable man who takes himself pretty seriously, so I imagine he thought the wise/honorable thing to do would be to get Arya out of Kings Landing. Not only is she a troublemaker to begin with, but she's much less valuable to the Lannisters than Sansa. She's in more danger.

[7V3N]

He knew what type of people Ned and Benjen were. Benjen was his brother and friend, and that is why he told Ned about Cat and Tyrion. He realized that Ned was not a traitor (I think) and that it was the Lannisters making a political move. Also, he knew Arya was innocent of it all and would just be a hostage if found.

[braulio09]

Just seems to me like he breaks his vows, but I guess a man can't break off all loyalty.

[The_Spanish_Inquisition]

braulio09, on 11 June 2012 - 04:14 AM, said:

Just seems to me like he breaks his vows, but I guess a man can't break off all loyalty.

Neutrality is one thing. Leaving a little girl to the mercy of the Lannisters is something else. It's not as though he strolled back up to the Wall publicly singing the praises of the Starks.

It must be difficult to never do ANYTHING that could be construed as taking one side over another.

[7V3N]

braulio09, on 11 June 2012 - 04:14 AM, said:

Just seems to me like he breaks his vows, but I guess a man can't break off all loyalty.

The_Spanish_Inquisition, on 11 June 2012 - 06:22 PM, said:

Neutrality is one thing. Leaving a little girl to the mercy of the Lannisters is something else. It's not as though he strolled back up to the Wall publicly singing the praises of the Starks.

It must be difficult to never do ANYTHING that could be construed as taking one side over another.

He did not take part in the war. He simply rescued an (at the the time) innocent girl, like he did with the crying woman missing an arm and Weasel. I'll say he half broke his vows. The Lannisters threatened him and the Watch, so he defended himself without submitting. Submitting itself is breaking his vows because it is taking part.

Did he break his vows? Yes because he took part in defending a Stark from a Lannister (althought they didn't realize that), but no because he simply defended the innocent from the wicked.

[Mr_Gimp]

braulio09, on 09 June 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

I was wondering why Yoren took Arya to Winterfell after he realized they were gonna kill Eddard. He was paid by a man (which I suppose is Varys) to take Lord Stark and a boy (Gendry) to the Wall. When this cannot happen, why does he feel the need to protect Arya? The Night's Watch are supposed to remain neutral and scorting a Stark back to Winterfell would definitely be meddling.

Any ideas?

remember Yoren told Ned that Benjen was as much his brother as Neds'. So he likely thought to spare her the misery he knew she'd suffer at the lannisters hands by taking her to Benjen.

[Harle The Handsome]

Because the Starks are, were and always will be great friends to the Nights Watch.

[lionhead]

Harle The Handsome, on 16 September 2012 - 10:57 PM, said:

Because the Starks are, were and always will be great friends to the Nights Watch.

True. Also its a good idea to have the nearest major house feeling it owes you a debt the next time you go begging for men/supplies/money etc.

[The Monkey]

Because he was a good man, simple as that.

[Tim Snow]

He did it because he's only a human being, he was helping a little girl who just lost her father return home.

[Lion of Judah]

He is a man of the watch and if he has loyalty to any lord it would be Arya's father. So he may feel obligated to see her home safely.

[Ser Troye of the Sands]

It is plain and simple; Yoren knew Arya would make a scene which would have more than likely led to her capture or death. He was not trying to help the Starks, nor was he trying to defy the Lannisters. He was just a man who did not want to see an innocent CHILD suffer. The Night's Watch are more knightly than the actual knights in the story. There objective is to help the realm, and Arya is a member of the realm.

[Zaharis]

If I recall correctly, Ned kinda asked him to. When he was walking to his death, he passed through Yoren and told him "Baelor" (video here), referring to the statue of Baelor, where Arya was. He knew it was Arya because they met previously when Yoren arrived King's Landing and went to see Eddard at his room, where, once again, Arya was.
Why didn't he ignore it? Well, it's something a sworn brother of the Night's Watch just couldn't do (gladly)

[Lord Flashheart]

Zaharis, on 05 November 2012 - 11:48 AM, said:

If I recall correctly, Ned kinda asked him to. When he was walking to his death, he passed through Yoren and told him "Baelor" (video here), referring to the statue of Baelor, where Arya was. He knew it was Arya because they met previously when Yoren arrived King's Landing and went to see Eddard at his room, where, once again, Arya was.
Why didn't he ignore it? Well, it's something a sworn brother of the Night's Watch just couldn't do (gladly)

That is the HBO show. Ned never says "Baelor" to Yoren in the Book.

[Zaharis]

The Enormity That Rides, on 05 November 2012 - 11:55 AM, said:

That is the HBO show. Ned never says "Baelor" to Yoren in the Book.

Sorry, mixed it all up. You come to a point where you don't remember what was and wasn't meant in the book

[Lord Flashheart]

Zaharis, on 05 November 2012 - 12:03 PM, said:

Sorry, mixed it all up. You come to a point where you don't remember what was and wasn't meant in the book

Yeah I hadn't read GOT in awhile and started to believe Ned and Jamie really had that awesome duel because of HBO.

[KhaleesiDany]

The Monkey, on 11 October 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:

Because he was a good man, simple as that.

What I was gonna say!

braulio09, on 11 June 2012 - 04:14 AM, said:

Just seems to me like he breaks his vows, but I guess a man can't break off all loyalty.

You bring up a good point BUT I don't think he did break his vows in any way. You're right about the loyalty and, he never took a side in a war. Only because Arya is a Lord's daughter could it be construed that way, but ifyou think of her as just a girl and her dad as just a person, you see how he didn't do anything political. And all he was doing was bringing her back home to the North, where he was going anyway, it's not as though he was going to fill her head the entire time with the need to get vengeance on the Lannisters or ransom her to another castle along the way.

Of course he has some loyalty to Benjen and Ned, as mentioned above, but also as a man of the night's watch he has a stronger loyalty to the Starks and to Winterfell because they are the closest to the Wall and they are often the only family who helps the Watch.

[GillyTarly]

sumpthy, on 09 June 2012 - 06:31 PM, said:

Same reason he informed Eddard about Catelyn capturing Tyrion I guess, due to his friendship with Benjen.

I think the TV show handled this better.

  The TV show handled this a lot better. Yoren knew who she was and didn't want harm come to her. Plus, he knew Jon was at the wall. Ned was looking at Yoren and Ayra in the crowd of people in KL before he lost his head.