Howland Reed at the Tower of Joy

[Bendric Dayne]

So we are told that Howland Reed was Ned's trusty companion during Robert's Rebellion. Which is fine and all, but why? He was beat up by three squires that Lyanna went on to beat, so wouldn't he be more a liability in battle than an asset? Furthermore, why would Ned bring this liability with him to a dangerous mission to the ToJ? Like it's one thing if he was shooting arrows from a safe distance in the war, but the ToJ was different so what was Howland even doing there?

We know Howland must have been fond of Lyanna. She saved him from those squires and gave him a place with the Starks in the tourney at Harrenhal, which must have been a huge honor for him. Like imagine being a nobody amongst all these great houses and then being 'in' with one of the greatest houses of Westeros, that must be pretty cool. And he owed all of that to Lyanna. So when he heard she was kidnapped by Rhaegar, I bet he insisted on joining Ned. He wanted to save the person who once saved him. So I think Ned would have appreciated that. I mean all other lords that were serving Ned, were doing so because they had to; they were the Starks' bannermen, it was their duty. I bet one of the reasons Ned trusted Howland was because Howland decided to join Ned even though it wasn't his duty. So Ned probably wanted Howland at the ToJ because he trusted that Howland's interest was to save Lyanna, not do his duty to his liege lord like the rest of the men that went with them. Which isn't to say that Ned did not trust the other men he brought with him, but there is a distinction between doing their duty and saving Lyanna. For example, doing their duty could mean telling their king, Robert, about Jon Snow, which wouldn't be in Lyanna's best interests. Ned obviously did not know what he would find in the ToJ, but I bet he felt better going with Howland, whom he could trust would do what was best for Lyanna. 

Why did Ned and his companions even fight the Kingsguard? I actually think this one is pretty straightforward, at least compared to everything else at the ToJ. Ned has no reason to believe that the Kingsguard won't fight him. Even less so after the brief conversation he has with them in which they say that their knees do no bend easily. That basically tells Ned that these men will follow their orders until they die so there is no other solution to this problem other than killing them and saving his sister. The Kingsuard probably had orders to kill anyone who showed up at the ToJ, the secret of Jon's birth was too important to allow anyone to learn of it. Even Ned. They might think that Ned wouldn't do anything to the boy, but what of his companions? Even if they can trust Ned, they know he is the most honorable dude in the seven kingdoms. Honor would demand him to tell his king the truth. They have no reason to believe that Ned would lie about what he learns here. So I don't think the Kingsguard were happy about it, but they felt they had to kill Ned because it was their duty to save Jon, even from Ned's honor. 

So what did Howland do at the ToJ? Well, we know that Howland saved Ned from Arthur Dayne, although we don't know how. I think when Ned heard Lyanna screaming for him, he sent Howland to check up on her whilst he fought the Kingsguard. This makes sense because Howland would have been more of a liability than an asset when it came to fighting the Kingsguard, and Ned wouldn't be able to just abandon the battle. Howland would have then seen Lyanna dying in the bed of blood. She would have begged him to get Ned and would maybe even have explained everything to Howland; how she was actually in love with Rhaegar (if that's even true) and the rest of it. So by the time Howland spoke to her and grasped the situation (that she was dying whilst giving birth, he maybe even knew that Jon was heir not just a bastard), the fight with the Kingsguard could have already come down to a one vs one between Ned and Arthur, in which we know Howland somehow saves Ned.

So how does Howland save Ned? Well, I guess that the most obvious answer, given that Arthur Dayne is dead, is that Howland killed him. Probably in a way similar to what we see in the show, a sneak attack with a dagger, or his frogspear, or an arrow, or something. But I think that the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree should really make us question wether Howland could best Arthur in any way, even if it is a sneak attack. Arthur is like the best knight in the history of Westeros, can we really believe that he would allow Howland to sneak up on him? It makes more sense to me that Howland would have halted the fighting by telling Ned to stop and to go to his sister because she was dying. Arthur was chivalrous, so if Ned stopped fighting him, I don't think Arthur would have killed a man who wasn't fighting back. He could have allowed Ned to see his sister in her final moments to then resume the fighting later. At this point Howland could have convinced Arthur that killing Ned was unnecessary since Lyanna was explaining everything to him. Arthur would question wether honorable Ned would be able to lie to his king; he would question why he should even trust Howland at all. 

We are told that Ned was found next to Lyanna's dead body by more than one person, "They found him there..." it could have been Howland and Arthur who found him there. So then Ned would explain to Arthur what he promised Lyanna, that he would keep Jon's parentage a secret. Everyone knows how honorable Ned is, so Arthur would have no reason to question wether Ned would keep that promise or not. He would question wether Howland was trustworthy or not, but Ned would tell him how he trusts Howland more than anyone else. Again, Arthur would have no reason to question Ned on this. So that would be how Howland saved Ned from Arthur in a way that doesn't require combat and explains how they both walked away. But what would happen to Arthur then?

Well, I'm not a huge fan of the "Arthur being alive" theories, but it almost makes more sense for him to be alive considering that Howland was unlikely to best him at combat. So his death could be similar to the Hound's, a symbolic death in which he buries his Kingsguard armor next to his fallen brothers. This could make some narrative sense; he and Ned could have made a 'dishonorable pact' in which they both decide to lie and go against their honor to protect Jon. Alternatively, he could have told Ned or Howland that they had to kill him, "All knights must bleed". He would not allow himself to just run away, and he would not be able to honorably return to his life as a Kingsguard, whilst also keeping Jon's secret. So he could have convinced Ned to kill him right there. This sounds weird, but we know Ser Barristan is offended when the Lannisters offer him a palace to grow old and die in; the Kingsguard oaths are for life. So Arthur could have felt that the only honorable thing to do was to get killed right there, so as to not break his Kingsguard oaths.

Either way, a few things make more sense if one of these scenarios is true. First of all, it's a more sensible way for Howland to save Ned this way than in combat, considering that we're told that Howland is pretty bad in combat. Second, a conversation between Ned and Arthur could explain why Ned went to Starfall after the ToJ. Either Arthur is alive and went with Ned to Starfall, or Arthur convinced Ned that he could trust the Daynes in Starfall before he died. Like, going to Starfall to return Dawn makes sense for Ned as a character, but it's fair to say he had other priorities with Jon. Would he risk Jon's safety if he didn't know how he would be received at Starfall? A conversation with Arthur would remove Ned's doubt and would give him time to come up with a cover story whilst he stayed in Starfall. It would also give him time to make his cover story believable. No one would believe that Ned went to the ToJ, got a woman pregnant, and came back with her child in less than nine months. Staying in Starfall for at least nine months would make it believable that he got someone pregnant and that Jon is his, not Lyanna's. Staying in Starfall all that time could also explain how the Daynes grew fond of Ned; enough to make Edric Dayne his namesake. If Arthur is alive, he could also be Ned Dayne's father (it's suspicious how we're not told who his parents are). 

In the end the ToJ is obviously super mysterious so there is no way of deducing what actually went down. But just asking yourself wether it's more likely for Howland to have saved Ned from Arthur through combat or through words; in isolation, without considering everything else, I think the latter makes more sense considering what we know of the 2 characters. So I'd still lean towards Arthur being dead, but this scenario would definitely add to the likelihood of him being alive. It would also add to the likelihood of all those other things I discussed being true. But there is so little to go by, we can't really come up with anything conclusive. If anything, the most likely scenario is one similar to what we saw in the show just because there is the possibility that the show runners had information that we don't. Either way, what I proposed is definitely not impossible in my opinion, and it's just fun to speculate!  

[Curled Finger]

I've read a lot of TOJ ideas, but this was actually nice.  Thanks for not being too weird.  Now I will be weird.  The first idea I ever read was that Howland threw a net over Arthur.  That's stayed me since because it is so simple and tidy.  Then I ran into @Nevets who introduced me to an idea that forever changed my thinking about the events at the TOJ and Harrenhal.  This is perfect and covers all the bases so far as I am concerned.  Like the net, it is actually pretty simple and tidy.  It doesn't involve baby swaps or living dead Kingsguard, just a really really nice love story that answers many questions about the Daynes being so keen on the man who killed the Sword of the Morning.  

I think you make perfect sense about why Howland was the right companion to join Ned on his quest to find Lyanna.  She was HR's first friend at Harrenhal and introduced him to her brothers who all took him into their pack.  I think he knew she was the Knight of The Laughing Tree, too, and I think he shared a secret with her as well.  They were friends like only those met in a time of danger and need can be.  What was Harrenhal if not a time of great danger for Lyanna and Howland?  Their lives forever changed by the events of that tournament.  

Why fight?  Well, you've said it yourself, oaths to Rhaegar, to protect the child.  The conversation between Ned and the KG is clear.  They all know this is hopeless.  They come from opposing sides here.  Lyanna Stark is victim to one side and protected to the other.  They both want to save her while only 1 side knows about a child, which may or may not be born by Ned's arrival.  Both sides will eventually answer to a King, whether old or new.  This baby is a wildcard.  The 3rd head of Rhaegar's dragon.   Because the KG and Rhaegar knew a baby would come there had to be a maester or midwife or someone to help.  I think it's safe to assume this in the "they" you refer to.  Birth and birthing mortality rates were too high to risk leaving anyone to have a royal babe alone.  

I look forward to the rest of the replies you receive.  This is always a fun topic to revisit.  

[Corvo the Crow]

...Kicked Arthur's white cloaked ass is all I know about the event

[Phylum of Alexandria]

Howland would not be fit for the tourney, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be a fearsome warrior in other contexts.

Ser Shadrich demonstrates that a small man may not be fit for tourneys, but he can be skilled in combat.

 

From AFFC:

"Your common mouse will run from blood and battle. The mad mouse seeks them out."

"It would seem he seldom finds them."

"I find enough. 'Tis true, I am no tourney knight. I save my valor for the battlefield, woman." -- Brienne I 

 

From TWOW:

Spoiler

"Alayne turned abruptly from the yard… and bumped into a short, sharp-faced man with a brush of orange hair who had come up behind her. His hand shot out and caught her arm before she could fall. “My lady. My pardons if I took you unawares.”

“The fault was mine. I did not see you standing there.”

“We mice are quiet creatures.” Ser Shadrich was so short that he might have been taken for a squire, but his face belonged to a much older man. She saw long leagues in the wrinkles at the corner of his mouth, old battles in the scar beneath his ear, and a hardness behind the eyes that no boy would ever have. This was a man grown. Even Randa overtopped him, though.

“Will you be seeking wings?” the Royce girl said.

“A mouse with wings would be a silly sight.”

“Perhaps you will try the melee instead?” Alayne suggested. The melee was an afterthought, a sop for all the brothers, uncles, fathers, and friends who had accompanied the competitors to the Gates of the Moon to see them win their silver wings, but there would be prizes for the champions, and a chance to win ransoms.

“A good melee is all a hedge knight can hope for, unless he stumbles on a bag of dragons. And that’s not likely, is it?” -- Alayne I

 

 

[Alester Florent]

I suspect Ned took Howland with him to the ToJ for no other reason than that he was an implicitly loyal friend who he could count on to have his back. Howland might have volunteered given that they're searching for Lyanna but I suspect Ned would have asked him to come anyway.

I don't think it's necessary to come up with wild theories as to how Howland saved Ned at the ToJ, given that fighting two-on-one is hard, and if Howland could get round the back of Arthur (or use a net, or etc.) even the greatest swordsman is going to struggle. There was a popular theory doing the rounds years ago, which almost assumed the mantle of fancanon, that Howland had somehow done some warg magic to save Ned.

As far as the theory itself in this thread goes, I like it, but I also think that as with many of these things it's spinning a lot out of very little. We really don't have enough to go on here, and while it's fun to debate the possibilities, the evidence is so thin we can't really draw any conclusions.

[Corvo the Crow]

1 hour ago, Phylum of Alexandria said:

Ser Shadrich demonstrates that a small man may not be fit for tourneys, but he can be skilled in combat.

Howland doesn't need to be a skilled melee fighter either, he is a Crannogman and we know their preferred weapon is bow and arrow, smeared with excrements. Considering this fact, he may very well have killed Arthur with a well picked shot.

[Bendric Dayne]

2 hours ago, Curled Finger said:

I've read a lot of TOJ ideas, but this was actually nice. 

Thank you!!

 

2 hours ago, Curled Finger said:

Then I ran into @Nevets who introduced me to an idea that forever changed my thinking about the events at the TOJ and Harrenhal.  This is perfect and covers all the bases so far as I am concerned. 

I'll make sure to look into this! It's always a fun topic to read about.

 

2 hours ago, Curled Finger said:

 Because the KG and Rhaegar knew a baby would come there had to be a maester or midwife or someone to help.  I think it's safe to assume this in the "they" you refer to.  Birth and birthing mortality rates were too high to risk leaving anyone to have a royal babe alone.  

I agree! There's definitely too much made about that line, "They found him there...". I agree that a maester or a midwife is definitely the most likely to be with Howland in this instance. I should have mentioned it in the OP.

[Curled Finger]

14 minutes ago, Bendric Dayne said:

I'll make sure to look into this! It's always a fun topic to read about.

I agree! There's definitely too much made about that line, "They found him there...". I agree that a maester or a midwife is definitely the most likely to be with Howland in this instance. I should have mentioned it in the OP.

If we are lucky @Nevets could pop in his own bad self.  He's very good about not complicating things.  Martin writes the whole bit so mysteriously we are meant to wonder here.  I doubt we will get the whole of it ever, but I sure would like to know a few things.  So much of it just doesn't flow or click or or or it's missing pieces and doesn't make sense.  I hate missing pieces.  

This Maester/Midwife is probable and logical, I think and as you say, makes good sense.  But we don't know for sure.  We have all we know from bits of history and the ravings of a man in the throes of fever.  It's one of those pieces that probably would fit if we had it.  I am willing to put it there as a replier, you were fine to omit it in an OP, Ser.  

[Bendric Dayne]

1 hour ago, Alester Florent said:

I suspect Ned took Howland with him to the ToJ for no other reason than that he was an implicitly loyal friend who he could count on to have his back. Howland might have volunteered given that they're searching for Lyanna but I suspect Ned would have asked him to come anyway.

I agree. The only thing I would question is wether Ned would want someone with so little battle experience with him on a dangerous mission. Howland would be a liability. I still think what you say is more likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ned hesitated at first on account of Howland being a liability. Either way, we know Howland does go with Ned so I guess it doesn't really matter how it is he joined Ned.

 

1 hour ago, Alester Florent said:

I don't think it's necessary to come up with wild theories as to how Howland saved Ned at the ToJ

I wouldn't say this was a wild theory. Maybe when I start talking about Arthur being alive and what not, but I acknowledge (at least I try to, maybe I wasn't clear) that that part is pretty wild and unlikely. I'm mostly against pretty wild theories myself. I do think it's valid for us to question what Ned means when he says that he would be dead if not for Howland Reed. It's never explicitly said that Howland killed Arthur, and we know Howland wasn't great in combat, so I think out of the many things we overthink and question this one is pretty valid no? I still acknowledge that the most likely scenario is that Howland somehow managed to kill Arthur, but it is still fun to speculate on how exactly he did that, and to ponder different possibilities. Particularly when the text leaves it open ended (GRRM could say that Howland killed Arthur, yet he doesn't word it in a way that makes that clear so I think it's valid to question that).

 

1 hour ago, Alester Florent said:

given that fighting two-on-one is hard, and if Howland could get round the back of Arthur (or use a net, or etc.) even the greatest swordsman is going to struggle. 

But I don't think he could be consider the greatest swordsman if he can't hold his own in a two vs one battle. That should be a pretty common scenario for him. We know Garlan Tyrell trains with up to three swordsmen, so I'm not saying it should be easy for Arthur, but if he's the greatest swordsman, he should still best them, especially when Ned is only an average swordsman and Howland is not even good at combat. If Howland managed to get round the back of Arthur, it doesn't mean Arthur should just forget about him. If he's as skilled as we're told he is, he would turn so that he could be facing both opponents. He would never have his back turned to his opponent. Even if Howland climbed up the tower to shoot arrows, Arthur should have seen Howland's choice of weapons and prepared himself to defend himself against arrows, either by making sure Ned was between him and Howland, or by going somewhere where Howland could not reach him with arrows. 

So I still think that the most likely conclusion is that Howland managed to somehow kill Arthur. My point is that there are plenty of reasons to question this.

1 hour ago, Alester Florent said:

There was a popular theory doing the rounds years ago, which almost assumed the mantle of fancanon, that Howland had somehow done some warg magic to save Ned.

Now this we can agree is an unnecessary and wild theory!

 

1 hour ago, Alester Florent said:

As far as the theory itself in this thread goes, I like it, but I also think that as with many of these things it's spinning a lot out of very little. We really don't have enough to go on here, and while it's fun to debate the possibilities, the evidence is so thin we can't really draw any conclusions.

I agree and I try to acknowledge this in my post. I think this is true for almost anything regarding the ToJ. As you say, there just isn't any real evidence to draw conclusions from. All we can do is grasp at straws when it comes to making theories regarding the ToJ. Which is why I tried to keep my post focused on Howland, to prevent it from getting too wild (even though I could have failed at this). I was only trying to question what is meant by "Howland saved Ned from Arthur", and what could be the possible repercussions of that which I agree isn't anything conclusive. Even though it might not sound like it from this reply, I do agree with most of what you said! 

[Alester Florent]

3 minutes ago, Bendric Dayne said:

I agree. The only thing I would question is wether Ned would want someone with so little battle experience with him on a dangerous mission. Howland would be a liability. I still think what you say is more likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ned hesitated at first on account of Howland being a liability. Either way, we know Howland does go with Ned so I guess it doesn't really matter how it is he joined Ned.

Howland is probably almost as experienced as Ned by this point: Ned fought at Gulltown and presumably Howland didn't, but there's no particular reason to assume that Howland didn't fight in all Ned's other battles. He's no longer as callow as he was at Harrenhal.

3 minutes ago, Bendric Dayne said:

I wouldn't say this was a wild theory.

I agree: as theories on this topic go, it's pretty sane!

3 minutes ago, Bendric Dayne said:

But I don't think he could be consider the greatest swordsman if he can't hold his own in a two vs one battle. That should be a pretty common scenario for him. We know Garlan Tyrell trains with up to three swordsmen, so I'm not saying it should be easy for Arthur, but if he's the greatest swordsman, he should still best them, especially when Ned is only an average swordsman and Howland is not even good at combat.

I don't know. I think it's easy to underestimate just how difficult it is to fight 2v1, especially against trained opponents. It's very difficult to guard two directions at once, especially if the two can open up a distance between them or worse, get on either side of you. . The others don't need to be particularly good swordsmen to exploit that advantage, they just need to be competent and don't lose their heads. Defending a chokepoint against multiple opponents is easier because you can narrow the vectors of attack and they may get in each other's way: for similar reasons a 3v7 fight is likely less one-sided than a 2v1. 

Ned may not be an exceptional swordsman, but he knows what he's doing, and he has a Valyrian sword, so Arthur can't rely on his armour to defend him against attacks from Ned in the same way he might usually. Howland obviously isn't a brawler and may not be much of a jouster, but he's still been trained and may be much more dangerous in real combat where he has room to manoeuvre. And we don't know what Howland was armed with but it could have been a spear, or similar polearm (like a trident, not to mention a net) which adds to the complications of trying to defend, because you're now up against someone with what all things being equal is a better weapon with longer range, and attacks in a different way to the swordsman on your other side. Even if Howland would struggle to injure Arthur through his armour with whatever he was wielding, he can still knock him off balance, impede or trip him and give Ned the advantage.

When we say Ned is an "average" swordsman, after all, which I think is an oversimplification of one of GRRM's comments, we're talking about him in the context of the Westerosi nobility, who are all trained swordsmen, rather than in the context of all Westerosi men who might come to wield a sword. So even if only "average" he's probably actually closer to the 95th percentile of swordsmen in Westeros even if he is indeed bang-average.

Point taken about Garlan training against three swordsmen... but then we saw in Gladiator that Commodus trained with something like seven, and that didn't do him much good in the end.

[three-eyed monkey]

7 minutes ago, Bendric Dayne said:

I agree! There's definitely too much made about that line, "They found him there...". I agree that a maester or a midwife is definitely the most likely to be with Howland in this instance. I should have mentioned it in the OP.

I don't think a maester or a midwife is likely at all. Where would this imaginary person be at the time? Probably at Lyanna's bedside, given her stricken state in that moment. Then Ned would have rushed in and found them there, and not the other way around. Some people say the imaginary person must have been taking a dump or something and came rushing back to the room after Ned entered. If that's the case then I'm just glad it was Howland who took her hand from Ned's.

I've seen it suggested that the tower must have had cooks and chambermaids and even a rookery, but I don't buy any of that. I think the tower, an old watchtower on the Prince's Pass, was abandoned like Queenscrown, where a small party could take refuge if needed. The fact that Ned pulled it down and used the stones to build cairns suggests to me a tower of unmortared stone. Rhaegar liked to camp in the ruins of Summerhall, so the prince didn't mind such accommodation. And remember, it was Rhaegar who named the tower, so it may have been so insignificant that it was nameless prior.

I don't see anything to suggest there was anyone at the tower besides the people we know about, other than assumptions. The three kingsguard, Ned and his companions, Lyanna and child. We know Wylla from Starfall was Jon's milk nurse, but there's no suggestion she was at the Tower of Joy, whereas we know Ned did go to Starfall afterwards.

Like you I also believe that rather than intervening with a weapon, Howland intervened with words. "They" is a clue, but there are many here who would rather deny a hard truth than face it.

[Frey family reunion]

I'm in agreement with the general sentiment of the OP even if I'm not completely on board with some of his details.  I think Arthur's problem was the knight's dilemma.  Obey his oath to the King, or obey his vows as a knight to protect the innocent.  I think Howland reminded him of his original oath of knighthood, and Arthur then chose the only way out of the dilemma, death before dishonor.

[Nevets]

4 hours ago, Curled Finger said:

If we are lucky @Nevets could pop in his own bad self.  He's very good about not complicating things.  Martin writes the whole bit so mysteriously we are meant to wonder here.  I doubt we will get the whole of it ever, but I sure would like to know a few things.  So much of it just doesn't flow or click or or or it's missing pieces and doesn't make sense.  I hate missing pieces.  

This Maester/Midwife is probable and logical, I think and as you say, makes good sense.  But we don't know for sure.  We have all we know from bits of history and the ravings of a man in the throes of fever.  It's one of those pieces that probably would fit if we had it.  I am willing to put it there as a replier, you were fine to omit it in an OP, Ser.  

I don't know what theory I gave you.  I'm guessing it's been a few years.

I don't think Ned was expecting a fight.  He seems to have picked his crew more for their friendship (and presumably ability to keep quiet) than their fighting skills.  And if he expected a fight there would have been more than seven.

I expect Howland was a decent fighter.  Three guys ambushing you is a bit difficult to deal with, especially unarmed.  I would guess he saved Ned by joining the fight and dividing Dayne's attention.  It's possible he had a spear, which could be a help.

Why they fought is unclear.  They may have feared harm to Lyanna or the babe.  They don't know Ned, and don't know how he will react.  They may also have had orders to keep the child to present later as a potential Targaryen claimant to the throne, which Ned would certainly oppose, given his allegiance to Robert.

I expect there were women present.  A midwife and two or three servants.  Given that it was called the Tower of Joy, I would expect they were there for some time and would need servants for cooking, cleaning, etc.  It's probably the servants who found Ned.

[three-eyed monkey]

To begin with, I think we have a good idea why they fought. The Northmen were rebels. The rebels had killed Rhaegar on the Trident, killed Rhaegar's wife and children in the sack, and killed the king. The Targaryen line was apparently being snuffed out to be supplanted by the Usurper. The kingsguard were Targaryen loyalists, protecting Rhaegar's son who, like Viserys and Dany, could potentially pose a threat to the Usurper's rule. They obviously would not want the child to fall into Robert's hands.

Once the throne had changed hands, these men were essentially outlaws. They would have to bend the knee to Robert and be pardoned, as Barristan did, or else flee into exile like Ser Willem. But they tell Ned that while Ser Willem was a good man he was not a knight of the kingsguard. They do not flee, nor do their knees bend easily. That leaves them with precious few options.

I'm sure Ned hoped they would bend the knee. He thought he might have found them at Storm's End when the Tyrells dipped their banners. He can't understand why they are fighting on. As far as he's concerned the war ended with the surrender at Storm's End. He doesn't know what's in the tower yet. All he knows is that they won't bend the knee and they won't flee. This point is emphasized by Dayne donning his helmet and Whent sharpening his sword. Ned's men knew what that meant, and they moved up next to their lord with swords in hand. Arthur drew Dawn and it began.

So the kingsguard feared Ned would bring the child to Robert, while Ned probably thought the kingsguard, loyal to their oaths, wanted to go out on their shields and that there was one more battle, if we can call it that, to fight before the war truly ended.

 

But to get back to "They" and the notion that there were servants and a midwife present in the tower. We need to ask who these people are? What happened to them? Did Ned kill them to keep the secret after he had pulled the tower down? Did they go through the past seventeen years without ever letting it slip that Rhaegar had another son? Have we met any of these characters? Do they have names? Or is there just some random servants out there who know the truth about the Tower of Joy?

We know Howland was there, and we haven't met him yet because of what he can reveal. A reveal through Howland has been set up. Do you really think there is another character out there who can reveal the same thing, except this one has not been set up, and as is actually completely superfluous to the story as the reveal will come from Howland anyway. I just don't buy that, it seems too loose from a story point of view.

Rhaegar didn't need servants to tend him. He liked to go the ruins of Summerhall with only his harp for company. Even the kingsguard did not attend him there. He liked to sleep in the ruins of the hall. I don't see it as a stretch to think he might sleep in an abandoned watchtower without servants.

Rhaegar also kept his circle tight. He left King's Landing with half-a-dozen close companions and confidants. I don't think he wanted Aerys to know about the child until he had a chance to call his council and make the changes he was planning. What do you think Aerys would have done with Lyanna or her child, had he known what was happening and where they were? Rhaegar was basically hiding and I think an abandoned tower would make a better hiding place than one with servants, any of whom might talk, especially for someone who liked to keep his circle tight.

"They" refers to Howland and Arthur. Arthur would have killed Ned had Howland not intervened, but that doesn't mean Howland killed Arthur. If Howland intervened without killing Arthur, by saying something or anything other than lethal means, (and there is no real evidence that he did kill Arthur), then Arthur remained alive to make "they" with Howland, following Ned into the tower after he'd rushed ahead to answer his sister's call.

[Loose Bolt]

In my head canon Howland R is a ninja. Or he is totally useless as cavalryman. But deadly when he can assassinate people with shuriken and kunai

[Mourning Star]

If we are speculating wildly…

I think Howland’s intervention was to say something that convinced Ser Dayne that he had to lose the fight to keep his vow.

If Ned and company are all killed, Robert wasn’t going to give up on Lyanna, it’s pretty clear he’d have chased her to the ends of the earth, and it seems likely that not even her child would have been spared his wroth, if it was a “dragon spawn”.

And so, similar to what we see from the half hand, Arthur saw death as the way to best accomplish his aim and keep his vow. He knew Ned would protect a child of Lyanna, even from Robert. 

After all, what is a great knight if not one who is willing to sacrifice themself to save an innocent?

"The finest knight I ever saw was Ser Arthur Dayne, who fought with a blade called Dawn, forged from the heart of a fallen star. They called him the Sword of the Morning, and he would have killed me but for Howland Reed." Father had gotten sad then, and he would say no more. Bran wished he had asked him what he meant.

[LynnS]

Howland Reed fought beside Theo Wull during Robert's Rebellion.  

Quote

 

A Storm of Swords - Bran II

"There's people," Bran told her. "The Umbers are mostly east of the kingsroad, but they graze their sheep in the high meadows in summer. There are Wulls west of the mountains along the Bay of Ice, Harclays back behind us in the hills, and Knotts and Liddles and Norreys and even some Flints up here in the high places." His father's mother's mother had been a Flint of the mountains. Old Nan once said that it was her blood in him that made Bran such a fool for climbing before his fall. She had died years and years and years before he was born, though, even before his father had been born.

"Wull?" said Meera. "Jojen, wasn't there a Wull who rode with Father during the war?"

 

So it seems he has battle experience of the melee sort and he survived.  Theo Wull was also at the ToJ and died there.  I don't think Howland is an unskilled fighter or has no experience of warfare.

[astarkchoice]

Prob the more straightforward reasons

Hes grown up since his ass whupping ,.is probably a decent fighter now ,  leader of a strategicly important area for the north esp should rebellion fail , probably an excellent tracker (maybe helped with warg/greensight) ,  maybe ned just got along with the guy  really well and of course they need someone who def knows lyanna looks like should they need to split up....could be a mix of all that or more.

 

[Corvo the Crow]

Crazy theory time! Howland wasn't at the tower of joy, it was high sparrow, and he preached the kingsguard to death.

[KingStoneheart]

I actually quite like the idea of this theory to be honest. I like Three-Eyed-Monkey's take on it above that Rhaegar may not have wanted any servants there at all as he could not trust any of them with this and I like the idea that Howland rescues Ned with his words instead of his sword.

If Ned swears to honour Lyanna's request and keep Jon hidden, Arthur does maybe have the knight's dilemma where he is executed for being a Targaryen support instead of turning his cloak.