“Beneath it his skin was milky white, serene and unlined, ready to begin anew, ready for the world to write upon it.”

“None of us is ever ready,' he (Ned) said.'For knighthood?''For death.”

“His eyes were open wounds beneath his heavy brows, a blue as dark as the sea by night.”

“The snow fell steadily, cloaking all the world in white.”

“No singer would ever make a song about that battle. No maester would ever write down an account for one of the Reader's beloved books. No banners flew, no warhorns moaned, no great lord called his men about him to hear his final ringing words. They fought in the predawn gloom, shadow against shadow, stumbling over roots and rocks, with mud and rotting leaves beneath their feet.”

“The rocking of the deck beneath his feet made his stomach heave, and the wretched food tasted even worse when retched back up.”

“Ned was clad in a white linen doublet with the direwolf of Stark on the breast; his black wool cloak was fastened at the collar by his silver hand of office. Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth.”