Where Could Uncle Benjen Be?

[BalerionTheCat]

Benjen could be dead. Off page and we will never know about it. But for a Stark?

I think he has one or two usages for. Of course GRRM could do differently without him. But I think it would better with him.

A) Benjen was Lyanna's little brother. The only one of her age she could use. For example for getting a sword to train with. IMO, he could shed light of what happened at Harrenhal and after. Probably BR knows all. And Bran could have visions. But the telling by Benjen would be much better.

B )  I would think Benjen had a part in Rickon going to Skagos. Everything is possible and could have happened differently. But Osha wanted to go south. And how could they find any boat? Those to Skagos must not be that common. With a half wild direwolf BTW.
IMO, Benjen had been saved by Coldhand, and sent by BR to recover Rickon and to put him in a safe place. Skagos make sense. Safe of the Boltons and their Lannisters allies.

[Curled Finger]

50 minutes ago, BalerionTheCat said:

Benjen could be dead. Off page and we will never know about it. But for a Stark?

I think he has one or two usages for. Of course GRRM could do differently without him. But I think it would better with him.

A) Benjen was Lyanna's little brother. The only one of her age she could use. For example for getting a sword to train with. IMO, he could shed light of what happened at Harrenhal and after. Probably BR knows all. And Bran could have visions. But the telling by Benjen would be much better.

B )  I would think Benjen had a part in Rickon going to Skagos. Everything is possible and could have happened differently. But Osha wanted to go south. And how could they find any boat? Those to Skagos must not be that common. With a half wild direwolf BTW.
IMO, Benjen had been saved by Coldhand, and sent by BR to recover Rickon and to put him in a safe place. Skagos make sense. Safe of the Boltons and their Lannisters allies.

Ah I love that!  Great expectation.  Don't believe I've ever seen Benjen placed on Skagos and that is a great point about Osha even finding passage for Shaggy Dog.  Benjen being a Stark is a big deal and as you say we may never know, but he is a Stark.  I've thought about his close connection to Lyanna being the last Stark left at home with Lyanna and all the turmoil following Harrenhal.  It makes sense to me that as the little brother he may have been Lyanna's confidante and cohort as stupid little brothers will be for any elder sibling who will pay them any attention at all.  

sweetsunray has made a very clear and I think valid point about Benjen's loyalty to the Watch.  I do agree that he would not simply leave his post, particularly after having encountered wights or The Others.  However, we can't know what injury and an encounter with Coldhands and/or Bloodraven would do either.  Any abandoning wouldn't be an abandoning but some other fulfillment of duty we don't yet understand...like maybe leaving a bunch of stuff at the Fist of the First Men for example?  In that the Starks are integrally bound to the Wall and Nights Watch it is in Benjen's blood (literally!) to protect and defend the North wherever he is and whatever cloak he wears as a Black Brother.  We don't know what wisdom Bloodraven or the Children might have imparted to him.  We don't know that any of them did, but I sure like the possibility, Ser.  

[LongRider]

If needed, Benjen could get Rickon, Osha and Shaggydog through the Black Gate, or he slip through the Black Gate to meet them.  Then the issue of getting to Skagos.  hmmmm

1 hour ago, BalerionTheCat said:

B )  I would think Benjen had a part in Rickon going to Skagos. Everything is possible and could have happened differently. But Osha wanted to go south. And how could they find any boat? Those to Skagos must not be that common. With a half wild direwolf BTW.

 

[BalerionTheCat]

1 hour ago, Curled Finger said:

sweetsunray has made a very clear and I think valid point about Benjen's loyalty to the Watch.

Benjen's loyalty to the Watch is always put against this idea. But the NW real mission was lost in time. And Benjen knows things are wrong right now. If BR can tell Benjen where is duty is. Not saving a child of his blood, but doing what he must to preserve the realms of men, Benjen will do it. BTW, BR was also an LC of the NW.

1 hour ago, LongRider said:

If needed, Benjen could get Rickon, Osha and Shaggydog through the Black Gate,

The problem is no place is safe of the Boltons and Lannisters on the main land.

[LongRider]

Lord Wyman Manderly tells Davos he knows where Rickon has gone and wants Davos to retrieve him and the wolf.  Rickon's whereabouts has been a deep secret.  Could he also know if Benjen is with him?  That would be another deep secret. 

[Curled Finger]

29 minutes ago, LongRider said:

If needed, Benjen could get Rickon, Osha and Shaggydog through the Black Gate, or he slip through the Black Gate to meet them.  Then the issue of getting to Skagos.  hmmmm

 

The Black Gate is another very interesting thing in all of this and it did pass through my mind as I replied to @BalerionTheCat.  Sam knew how to get through so this does seem to be a thing the Watch teaches early.  Osha did want to go south, but did she only say it as a ruse at their time of parting to protect Rickon?  I always assumed she took a boat from White Harbor because why not, but duh, she doesn't know the area, of course she would take Rickon north to regions she knows.  We simply don't know what Osha knows or did or where she actually went!  Great points.

25 minutes ago, BalerionTheCat said:

Benjen's loyalty to the Watch is always put against this idea. But the NW real mission was lost in time. And Benjen knows things are wrong right now. If BR can tell Benjen where is duty is. Not saving a child of his blood, but doing what he must to preserve the realms of men, Benjen will do it. BTW, BR was also an LC of the NW.

The problem is no place is safe of the Boltons and Lannisters on the main land.

Indeed, BR was LC of the NW and that does get lost in many discussions.  Seems to me there would be no finer candidate for greenseer than a devoted man of the Nights Watch.  South of the Wall is not the place for the larger problem facing Westeros.  Boltons and Lannisters will consume each other and everyone in their path until there are only a fraction of living breathing brave people left to face the real threat.  That threat will not be a simple matter of armies and battle.  There is much more to this we haven't even imagined yet.  Magic is complicated and Martin's magic is really complicated.  I can't see all these wights being the death paying for spring or the life after.  Ancient pacts are at play and weird gates and strange powers and gods we are assured we won't see.  The sooner the secular Boltons and Lannister matters are resolved the real story can unfold and I hope Uncle Benjen is part of that unfolding. 

[BalerionTheCat]

1 hour ago, Curled Finger said:

Osha did want to go south, but did she only say it as a ruse at their time of parting to protect Rickon?

The facts that Wyman found Wex, that Osha found a boat for Skagos, that maester Luwin suggested White Harbor. All suggest White Harbor. Osha was fleeing the Others from beyond the Wall.

1 hour ago, Curled Finger said:

That threat will not be a simple matter of armies and battle.

I believe too.

[Nevets]

I have noticed that GRRM is sending Davos to Skagos to get Rickon.  This would suggest the author wants a POV in the far north for a reason.  If he wants Rickon back in the story, he doesn't need to send a POV all the way to Skagos to retrieve him.  Come to think on it, Rickon doesn't even need to be in Skagos in the first place.  GRRM can put him anywhere he likes; Last Hearth, Greywater Watch, or anywhere in between.  Rickon being on Skagos gives GRRM an excuse to send a POV that way.

I can think of three possibilities for why GRRM might want Davos in the Far North; Hardhome, Benjen, or vital knowledge about the Others.  It could be any or all of these.  If Benjen returns, Davos's POV is a likely place for it.  And I have a suspicion Rickon isn't getting south of the Wall any time soon.