Jon goes down into the vaults of Castle Black looking for Sam, whom Lord Commander Mormont had sent down there to find maps for the expedition into the Far North. He finds Sam immersed in the collection of the Night's Watch, which contains thousands of volumes. Sam wishes he had time to organize the collection and study it, but Jon is indifferent to the history. Sam particularly points out an account written by a ranger named Redwyn during the reign of King Dorren Stark in which he travelled to Lorn Point on the Frozen Shore, fought giants, and traded with the children of the forest. Lord Commander Mormont is taking two hundred men on the expedition, three-quarters of them rangers, to be joined by one hundred men from the Shadow Tower led by Qhorin Halfhand. Sam is coming along to manage the ravens since Maester Aemon is far too frail to join the expedition.

They return to the surface with the maps and are joined by Ghost. They watch Ser Endrew drill a group of new recruits brought in by Conwy, a beggar, a brigand, a barber, two orphans, and a boy whore, none of whom are particularly suited to the job. Donal Noye tells Jon that they came from a dungeon near Gulltown. Jon and Sam continue on to Lord Commander Mormont's chambers, where Thoren Smallwood, the new acting first ranger, is arguing with the lord commander that the command should go to him and Mormont should remain at Castle Black. Lord Commander Mormont flatly refuses and dismisses him. One his way out, he shoots Jon and Sam a hard look, as he was a confidant of Ser Alliser. When Mormont turns his attention to Sam, he becomes so frightened he can barely speak. After Sam leaves, the Lord Commander states he was considering sending Sam to treat with Renly, but feels that a quaking fat boy will not make the right impression. He plans to send Ser Arnell instead, whose mother was a green-apple Fossoway.

Lord Commander Mormont tells Jon the history behind Maester Aemon's decision to come to the Wall and how he could have been a king. Aemon's grandfather was King Daeron II, the king who brought Dorne into the realm and married a Dornish princess.¹ His father was King Maekar I, fourth son of Daeron. He was Maekar's third son and was named for Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, who some said was Daeron's true father in place of King Aegon IV the Unworthy. Aemon was no good with a sword but had quick wits, so Daeron sent him to the Citadel at nine or ten. Aemon's uncle, the heir to the throne, was killed in a tourney mishap while he was away.² His sons³ died soon after in the Great Spring Sickness. Daeron died as well, and his second son, Aerys I took the throne. Aerys wed his sister⁴ and ruled for about a decade, in which time Aemon became the maester for a minor lord. Aerys died without issue, and Maekar became king. He summoned Aemon to court and wanted to make him an advisor, but Aemon did not want to usurp the role of the Grand Maester, so he served his eldest brother, Daeron, instead. Daeron died of a pox contacted from a whore, while Aemon's other elder brother, Aerion, known as "the monstrous" died drinking wildfire, which he believed would turn him into a dragon. About a year later, Maekar died in battle against an outlaw lord. A Great Council was called to determine who should now take the throne. Both Daeron's daughter and Aerion's infant son were passed over, as the daughter was feeble-witted and no one wanted someone with Aerion's blood on the throne. Aemon was secretly offered the crown, but he declined. Rule therefore fell to his younger brother, Aegon V, thereafter known as "the Unlikely" because he became a king despite being the fourth son of a fourth son. Aemon knew that if he remained at court he could become a tool of those who might oppose his brother's reign, so he voluntarily joined the Night's Watch. Jon wonders at first why Mormont has told him all this until he realizes it is to test Jon's resolve to keep his vows now that Robb is a king. Jon promises that he will keep those vows.