"Such is the way of the life of a mortal, Jon," Ned replies softly. Hearing him speak with such darkness in his words, his heart, pains Ned to his core. Matters of emotion were never quite Ned's strong suit, always forced to hide behind the stoicism of the Stark name, but - given recent events, and the freshness of this wound, he decides to break his silence. "How else could we know to cherish and thank the Old Gods for what we have if we did not have the threat of losing them? If we were given people to have in our lives for eternity, we would never know how precious they are for we'd never have to fear the pain of their absence. Yet the mind cannot remember pain in its entirety, and so, we continue to care and love - because it is what drives us forward. It is what helps gives us purpose. You, your siblings, Cat - you all kept me alive, even in those final hours."