Why did Ned only take six lords to the Tower of Joy??

[Floki of the Ironborn]

These are important people who rule, or are related to people who rule huge swathes of the North. Why risk losing their lives? 

Wouldn't it be easier to bring six or seven knights/household guards who've been fighting in Robert's Rebellion? They'd be just as adept at fighting and Ned would also have more control over them if they survived to see whatever secret Ned's kept all these years. I'd certainly prefer entrusting a young man at arms with a secret than an ambitious lord whose ancestors were once kings of the North. Or hell, bring twelve such men. Or twenty four, with a dozen archers to boot.  

[Jon Snow Nothing]

Well, who knows? They were there to rescue Lyanna and bring her back to King Robert Baratheon, maybe they volunteered? Maybe Ned couldn't say no? I suspect they did not think there were be Kingsguards waiting for them... of if they did, more power to them, to help rescue the soon to be Queen from evil knights, and living legends.

[Lost Umber]

When he found out Lyanna was there, he didn't have time to gather or wait for a larger force to assemble and travel. He grabbed his bestie's and went to the TOJ asafp. 

Keep in mind that his army was still cleaning up the siege at Storms End. 

I doubt he knew he'd have to face off against 3 top Kingsguard or that he'd have to worry about keeping any secret deathbed promises. 

[Arya_Stupid!]

There were secrets to be kept. Even if Ned didn't know exactly what he would find at the Tower when he arrived, i'm sure he could have guessed at the results of Lyanna and Rhaegars actions and what they could've produced.

We also have to remember that Ned and Robert had just had a huge falling out over Roberts reaction to Tywin murdering Rhaegars other children. And that he would be unsure of what Roberts reaction to a rescued Lyanna would be - would Robert still want her? If not as wife, then would he try to keep her as a mistress? Would he take his residual anger of her 'kidnapping' on her? - and this is without a child to consider.

i think that it was just Ned playing it safe, controlling the information that may come out of there with him. He knows his vassals are loyal to Him, not necessarily the Crown. And what ended up happening there could have got Ned executed for treason, so IMO, he made the smart choice.

[Canon Claude]

15 minutes ago, Arya_Stupid! said:

i think that it was just Ned playing it safe, controlling the information that may come out of there with him. He knows his vassals are loyal to Him, not necessarily the Crown. And what ended up happening there could have got Ned executed for treason, so IMO, he made the smart choice.

But Ned could have controlled the information much easier with ten of his own personal troops, men who directly serve him at Winterfell. He could also have gotten Howland Reed and a few of his crannogmen with poison darts to take out any opposition. Ned made it overly complicated when he brought several lords whose deaths were serious losses to the North's hierarchy, especially Lord Dustin's.

[Arya_Stupid!]

28 minutes ago, Canon Claude said:

But Ned could have controlled the information much easier with ten of his own personal troops, men who directly serve him at Winterfell. He could also have gotten Howland Reed and a few of his crannogmen with poison darts to take out any opposition. Ned made it overly complicated when he brought several lords whose deaths were serious losses to the North's hierarchy, especially Lord Dustin's.

This was at the end of the War, perhaps his personal retainers from Winterfell were all gone/dead, or on their way back home to prepare for the arrival of Neds new wife and Son?

i understand what you are saying about Lord Dustin, and it did complicate things for Ned, but these men were with him from the beginning. Maybe they refused to leave their Leige Lord?

[Kytheros]

On 7/12/2016 at 4:27 PM, Canon Claude said:

But Ned could have controlled the information much easier with ten of his own personal troops, men who directly serve him at Winterfell. He could also have gotten Howland Reed and a few of his crannogmen with poison darts to take out any opposition. Ned made it overly complicated when he brought several lords whose deaths were serious losses to the North's hierarchy, especially Lord Dustin's.

It's entirely possible that some of them insisted on accompanying Ned and Howland. It's also possible that they were Northern Lords who were friends with Ned, or Lyanna, or even Brandon. Ned would've been relying not just on their oaths to him, but also their personal relationship with Lyanna or Brandon, to help keep whatever secrets needed to be kept.

 

It's also possible that they were in the command tent when Ned learned where Lyanna was being held. Ned might've taken them because if he left them behind, they'd follow anyways.

[Canon Claude]

1 hour ago, Kytheros said:

 

It's also possible that they were in the command tent when Ned learned where Lyanna was being held. Ned might've taken them because if he left them behind, they'd follow anyways.

Really? They would have just wandered along on their own without any backup from their own bannermen? Ned Stark stood in the tent, surrounded by those six men, hearing the news of where Lyanna was, and just looked around awkwardly at the men who just happened to be in the tent that day?

Ned clearly planned it so that only a few lords went with him. But why he did that makes no sense to me. I refuse to believe that all of his Winterfell guards were dead, given that Martyn Cassel had survived long enough to join Ned.

I hope GRRM gives us a good reason why Ned only took so few men, and only high-ranking lords at that.

[Valyrian Blade]

1 hour ago, Kytheros said:

It's entirely possible that some of them insisted on accompanying Ned and Howland. It's also possible that they were Northern Lords who were friends with Ned, or Lyanna, or even Brandon. Ned would've been relying not just on their oaths to him, but also their personal relationship with Lyanna or Brandon, to help keep whatever secrets needed to be kept.

 

It's also possible that they were in the command tent when Ned learned where Lyanna was being held. Ned might've taken them because if he left them behind, they'd follow anyways.

I agree with this, one of the man at the ToJ was Ethan Glover, Brandon's squire.

[Yet Another ASOIAF Fan]

21 minutes ago, Canon Claude said:

1 hour ago, Kytheros said:

 

Really? They would have just wandered along on their own without any backup from their own bannermen? Ned Stark stood in the tent, surrounded by those six men, hearing the news of where Lyanna was, and just looked around awkwardly at the men who just happened to be in the tent that day?

Ned clearly planned it so that only a few lords went with him. But why he did that makes no sense to me. I refuse to believe that all of his Winterfell guards were dead, given that Martyn Cassel had survived long enough to join Ned.

I hope GRRM gives us a good reason why Ned only took so few men, and only high-ranking lords at that.

Ned might have assumed that these five nobles were better trained then five Winterfall guards, given that there were three unaccounted Kingsguard that might be at ToJ.  You are most likely correct that the five lords would probably not follow Ned if ordered not to.  However, if a noble guard would be more common for a lord of Ned's standing in that situation, avoiding bringing them would raise additional attention in Ned's quest.

[erra]

On 7/12/2016 at 2:33 PM, Floki of the Ironborn said:

These are important people who rule, or are related to people who rule huge swathes of the North. Why risk losing their lives? 

Wouldn't it be easier to bring six or seven knights/household guards who've been fighting in Robert's Rebellion? They'd be just as adept at fighting and Ned would also have more control over them if they survived to see whatever secret Ned's kept all these years. I'd certainly prefer entrusting a young man at arms with a secret than an ambitious lord whose ancestors were once kings of the North. Or hell, bring twelve such men. Or twenty four, with a dozen archers to boot.  

 

"Just as adept at fighting"

I don't think so, lords in the ASOIAF universe have the best training, nicest gear and most experience. 

Only proper lords had the time and freedom to spend as much time as they wanted basically training. Sure they had courtesy and history and math lessons, but all else they did besides that and sleep, is train and fight and hunt. 

Compare that to household guards who likely grew up with a lot of other tasks and chores, didn't carry the best armor or swords, did a lot of standing around, and couldn't afford to participate in every and all tourneys like the rich lords. 

Tourneys also gave lords and knights an opportunity to size each other up. Ned's lordly companions have likely seen or even fought the kings-guard before, unlikely that a household guard has. 

 

"More control"

I personally would prefer lords who have been raised in and around the idea of honor and loyalty their whole lives, compared to a household guard who might have high aspirations. Your household guard will almost certainly always be your household guard. He might become a great knight, even attending tourneys, but he'll always be a servant. 

But if he takes your secret to some other lord who has a bone to pick on you, for example the royal family ... with a seal the king can make him a lord with his own lands and servants. Maybe even his old lord's lands whose secret he just sold. 

[BRANDON GREYSTARK]

A larger force would look like an invasion .

[purple-eyes]

because GRRM wants to write a legendary 3 vs 7 battle and a few badass lines. and because this is a fantasy book. 

how boring will it be if ned simply bring a few good archers and kill three kg from faraway? 

[Ygrain]

On 12. 7. 2016 at 11:27 PM, Canon Claude said:

But Ned could have controlled the information much easier with ten of his own personal troops, men who directly serve him at Winterfell. He could also have gotten Howland Reed and a few of his crannogmen with poison darts to take out any opposition. Ned made it overly complicated when he brought several lords whose deaths were serious losses to the North's hierarchy, especially Lord Dustin's.

This was not about control but trust. They were his friends, Ned knew them well and knew they wouldn't betray him.

[devilish]

I think this 'saving lyanna' mission was just a bravado by 6 young lords who lacked maturity. For all we knew, these 6 lords could have easily been captured by the still loyalist Dorne and used to extract better terms from Robert. I can understand Eddard wanting to save his sister and all. However this mission of his in enemy territory was stupid. 

[Lion of the West]

One possibility is that Eddard had been given info that everything was not as easy about Lyanna and Rhaegar as for example Robert thought and Eddard didn't know what he would find. Thus he took a small party of people he trusted to keep their mouths shut instead of many men and having whatever they found be common knowledge across Westeros in a year.

[OuttaOldtown]

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