Teachers Collaborating to Help Students with Epilepsy Research Paper

Teachers Collaborating to Help Students with Epilepsy - Research Paper Example While this collaboration holds weight on all instances, its significance increases substantially in instances of extreme difficulty, such as presence of illnesses in students. Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by repeated seizures over time. Seizures are sporadic episodes of perturbing brain activity that causes changes in attention and behavior. Defining Seizures: Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The symptoms and affects of the seizure will depend on the area of the brain affected. The organ which is affected depends upon what part of the brain is affected. Seizures are classified into two types: Focal seizures and generalized seizures. Focal seizures start in any one area of the brain and may or may not spread across other areas of the body. Generalized seizures result from abnormal neuronal activities on both parts of the brain. Simple Focal seizures are guilty of causing unusual sensations, movements and feelings; however, they are not the cause of loss of consciousness. Complex focal seizures can be the cause of loss of consciousness and can produce dreamlike experiences or repetitive behavior. The area at which these focal seizures begin is what defines these seizures. E.g. Epilepsy of the temporal lobe originates on the temporal lobes of the brain (National Institute of Health, 2007). Generalized seizures are known to cause massive muscle spasms, loss of consciousness and falls. Generalized seizures have several subtypes. Some of the key types of generalized seizures are: Absence Seizures: Absence Seizures are characterized by symptoms that cause victims to stare into space or jerking and twitching of muscles. They are known to start during childhood or adolescence. Tonic Seizures: They cause stiffening of muscles. Clonic Seizures: This form of generalized seizures causes repeated jerking of movement on both sides of the body. Myoclonic Seizures: Myoclonic seizures cause twitches, jerks, and sporadic mu scle movements in the upper body, arms and legs. Atonic seizures: Loss of normal muscle tone which can lead to sudden drops of the head is caused by atonic seizures. Epilepsy, which is characterized by Seizures, is also divided into different types. Several syndromes of epilepsy are identified by researches; while some of them are recognized as hereditary, the causes of other syndromes are not known (Wyllie, 2007). Epileptic syndrome classification uses the terms symptomatic, idiopathic and cryptogenic. Seizures that have a known underlying cause are characterized as symptomatic. Idiopathic seizures are seizures which do not have a known cause. Cryptogenic seizures are seizures which have a suspected cause but the cause is not known for certainty (National Institute of Health, 2007). Location Related Epilepsy: This form of epilepsy consists of focal seizures. This form of epilepsy constitutes an EEG pattern, characteristic of focal electrical abnormality. The prognosis of location r elated epilepsy is very difficult and depends upon location of the brain abnormality (Engel, Pedley, & Aicardi, 2008). West’s Syndrome/ Infantile Spasms Infantile spasms fall under the symptomatic generalized epilepsy. They are found mostly in children of the age from 3 months to 3 years, associated with sudden epileptic flexor spasms and extreme risk for cognitive impairment. During the episode, the affected child may suddenly flex his limbs, flex forward at the trunk and cry. This episode is transient,

Leadership Characteristics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Characteristics - Research Paper Example â€Å"Student leaders who possess high self concept often strive for self-development† (Ahmad, Ghazali, and Hassan, 2011, p. 24). Trustworthiness of a leader plays an integral role in his/her success in the contemporary age of competition (Caldwell, Hayes, and Long, 2010, p. 497). Hence, both self-confidence and trustworthiness of an individual are equally important in making him/her effective as a leader. A leader has several motives. Drive means a leader’s motivation to achieve the goal. Tenacity means the leader’s strength or cohesiveness with the followers. Resilience means the power of a leader to take pressure and yet deliver the work. I believe that there are both positive and negative motives for leadership. â€Å"[Positive Leadership] motives that have received most attention are those of power, affiliation and achievement† (Marti, Gil, and Barrasa, 2009, p. 268). The negative motives for leadership include aggression, and authoritarian style. For example, tenacity helps a leader overcome obstacles. â€Å"[A]long with basic leadership essentials such as honesty and integrity, tenaciously seeking the truth is one of the most important characteristics a leader can have† (Harms, 2006, p. 49). Likewise, resilience helps a leader make informed decisions in the times of extreme pressure. Once, I was made the leader of a project in school. I had four members in my group excluding me. We had to make a group presentation. As the leader, factors that were within my control were roles of individual group members that I could assign as per my wish, the schedule for making the presentation, and the professional standards to be followed in the presentation. Factors that were beyond my control in that group project included occasional dissatisfaction of the group members with their roles, grudges between the group members leading them to interpersonal conflicts, and limitation of the resources for the project since we had to complete it within

Over the next several decades multinationals from emerging economies Essay

Over the next several decades multinationals from emerging economies are likely to become a key force in the shaping of the glob - Essay Example However, over a certain period of time, the emergence of a significant number of rising markets as well as ostensible deterioration in developed markets have been observed. Nowadays, a huge exodus of MNCs from developed economies to emerging economies has been observed. A majority of MNCs have found favourable working conditions and are establishing themselves in the developing economies. In this effect, MNCs from developing economies are bound to become a major force in determining the international competitive landscape (Roach, 2007). Considering this aspect, the discussion is based on evaluating the validity of the statement that in next several decades, MNCs from emerging economies are likely to become a key force for shaping the global competitive landscape. ... MNCs from emerging economies usually obtain leverage from inexpensive labour, favourable trade principles and overall inducements to expand the business itself. Apparently, not just the MNCs are impacted by international expansion, the host nation’s economic environment and organisational experience are also impacted by MNCs. A proliferation of MNCs from emerging economies can lead to increased competition, augmented innovation in markets, better rearrangement of resources and increased job opportunities (Ernst & Young Global Limited, n.d.). MNCs of Emerging Economies as Key Force in Shaping Global Competitive Landscape In present days, emerging markets serve as an inducer of economic growth for entire world. The emerging economies have stronger potentiality of growth in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). According to the estimation of World Bank, the market size of E7 economies will become 64% larger in comparison to present G7 (Pricewater houseCoopers LLP, 2011). A significant convergence has been observed between E7 and G7 in recent times, which was accelerated by international economic recession of 2007. In 2007, the total GDP at PPP of G7 nations was almost 60% bigger than E7 nations. In 2010, it has been observed that the gap between GDP at PPP had shrivelled by 35%. The major drivers for growth of E7 nations are China and India (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 2011). The following table shows the GDP at PPP in 2009 and estimation at 2050: Rank in 2009 Country GDP at PPP in US$ billion Rank in 2050 Country GDP at PPP in US$ billion 1 US 14256 1 China 59475 2 China 8888 2 India 43180 3 Japan 4138 3 US 37876 4 India 3752 4

Key To Success For Implementation Of IMC

Key To Success For Implementation Of IMC The emergence of integrated marketing communications (IMC) has developed into one of the most significant example of growth and expansion in the marketing discipline (Kitchen, 2003). It has influenced acting and thinking among companies but also state owned companies, authorities and political parties, all facing the realities of rivalry in an open economy (Smith, 1996). Today, integrated communications has developed into an expansive discipline that links marketing to a number of other grounds, including corporate culture, corporate design, corporate communication and public relations (Christensen et al., 2008). IMC has received significant interest in both the practitioner and academic communities, since the beginning. The interest played to IMC is largely a purpose of its strong appeal which makes good sense. Its been more than a decade since the concept was first introduced but however most major businesses have yet to fully apply the ideas contained in the IMC. In fact Schultz, et. al. (1992) state that recognition of IMC has not been as rapid as they thought. The benefits of IMC that Smith et al. (1999) identified are the following: All of the market communications are controlled and managed by the IMC. IMC ensures that brand positioning, personality and messages are conveyed to each part of communication which are delivered from a single reliable strategy. It is said that Relationship Marketing strengthens a bond of devotion with consumers which can also protect them from the competition. It is a great advantage to keep a consumer for life. IMC can increase the sales by extending messages across numerous communication tools to generate more ways for consumers to be aware of the product and to make a purchase. IMC reduces duplication in photography and graphics as they can be shared in advertising and exhibitions. A single agency is used for all communications so the agency fee is reduced or even if many agencies are used, time is as meetings get all the agencies together for strategic planning or briefings. Thus, it decreases workload and stress levels. Successful IMC campaign needs to find the firm a correct mixture of promotional techniques and tools that define their tasks and the level to which they should be used, and manage their use appropriately. IMC helps in making the communications effective and efficient amongst companies through various concepts such as customer focus, customer empowerment, brand resonance, immersive marketing and emotional bonding. If correctly implemented, the IMC plan could collect data and implement response based on the previously gathered data. Marketing communications derived from the consumer need is able to build value into the service or product and divide it from the competition in the customers minds. BARRIERS TO IMC IMPLEMENTATION Marketers appear to be tired when it comes to modifying the change and investment in their approach to marketing communications. The discussion concerning what marketing communications can be predictable to accomplish has been going on for very long ( Ambler, 2000). In the middle of the rising identification that advertising; mostly in the grown markets mainly carries out a reminder purpose focused largely on protecting the existing market-share. Both the agencies and clients have challenges in generating and implementing the efficient communications agenda. All areas of the diverse marketing communication business carry on to face instability among the media, declining audience and the internet (Douglas, 2003). All this are making the companies reconsider the blend of marketing communication tools with consequences for the usual mass media which may not be capable to gather the wants of the 21st century customers and find their market shares wear down despite of the synergies occurr ing from tactical associations in the media business (Davis and Craft, 2000). Another concern is regarding the advertising practitioners where an occurrence of inside-out idea and practice overcomes (Kitchen and de Pelsmacker, 2004). There are various tactical subjects of concern in the broader discussion concerning the development of IMC along with the long term involvement to marketing practice and theory (Gould, 2000). Duncan (2005) advocated the tactical forecasting and examining of brand relationships is who as well said that priority ought to be given to their most important consumers. But, so far, there is very little proof of purchaser value being resolute by any segment of IMC (Garber and Dotson, 2002). In spite of huge investments, the relationship amongst the multiplicity of IMC and customers is not well understood. Though, observed evidence of the effects of mixtures of media, like print advertising and television (Jin, 2004) is rising. According to the consumer driven strategy, IMC is the main organization of all the brand contact points. Different levels exist, where such integration takes place. The different levels would be the following. Level 1 Tactical co-ordination Level 2 Redefining the scope of marketing communication Level 3 Application of IT Level 4 Strategic and Financial Integration Key to success for implementation of IMC IMC is a theory that must be implemented logically and simultaneously at all levels and functions of a corporation. Marketing functions and Public relations are not the only programs that are integrated which makes the company an example of IMC (Low, 2000). The key tip is to be careful of companies with strong marketing cultures, because topics like corporate reputation will take a back seat to the provincialism of brand management (Pettegrew, 2000). Functional and Structural issues must become a critical part of any effective IMC series. Of particular importance is beginning with a communication czar who will become the principles and evangelist of the IMC implementation attempt (Reid, 2005). Any IMC program must be personalized to the unique character of a particular organizational culture. For an IMC program to work successfully, it must reflect the distinctive culture in which it must function well. EXAMPLES: In spite of the demand, the IMC premise fails to take into account the way most companies are structured and functioned. Many corporations that are believed to be examples of IMC; fail to maintain the IMC principles on a company basis. The examples of Nike and Proctor Gamble will disclose that neither of these companies are functionally or structurally integrated public relations and employee communications with their marketing roles. NIKE Nike- the athletic footwear and attire manufacturer, has been cited as an example of IMC excellence and marketing. In a cover story from Fortune, (Hamel, 1997) states: Ask Nike- CEO Phil Knight what he likes to do best, and he does not falter a beat, he likes to break things. then in the 1980s, he turned his booming athletic shoe corporation into a marketing machine, saturating the airwaves with drastic commercials that highlighted emotion rather than the product. Schultz, et. al. (1992) publicized Nikes success in their IMC book: The thinking behind IMC is that every statement logo, price, promotion, label, distribution should be created to help convince the intention of the competitive advantage. Duncan and Caywood (1996) also include Nike among several companies that have been tremendously successful and based on observation, they are doing brilliant jobs of integrating their communication labors. Nikes breaking the marketing rules of the athletic footwear business which has come at a cost paid by its worldwide company reputation. Given these setbacks, one could argue that Phil Knights tactical wisdom for Nike is more alike to original advertising and horizontal integration than true IMC. There is a little proof that Nikes victory was achieved by the tactical management of all messages and media used by an organization to jointly influence its perceived brand value (Keegan, Moriarty Duncan, 1992). There are missteps that suggest Nikes marketing communications which may not be so ideal. For example, in 1997, Nike followed its patently bold and brash in your face marketing formula in an attempt to gain market share in an international soccer (Thurow, 1997). In Spain, an overwhelmingly Catholic nation, Nike introduced a commercial of Satan and his demons playing against a team of Nike endorsers. Spain refused to allow the commercial to air during primetime. Nike also placed an advertisement in Soccer American magazine saying: Europe, Asia and Latin America: Barricade your stadiums. Hide your trophies. Invest in some deodorant, as Asia and Latin America have been crushed. So will Europe. The world has been warned (Thurow, 1997). And finally, Nike ran an ad on British TV featuring a controversial French soccer player who detailed how spitting at a fan and insulting his coach had won him a Nike contract. Far from having an insight into the soccer market from the customers point of v iew and gaining ground against rival Adidas, Nike garnered a scathing editorial in the International Federation of Football Associations newsletter. Another recent evidence that says Nike is hardly the quintessential IMC company. Nike groped and allowed accusations of child-labor sweatshops in Asia that subcontract the manufacturing of Nike shoes to fester. In 1999, a team of journalists went to document the conditions for themselves, but Nike shut the factories. Prior to this series of incidents, widely published news stories detailed incidents in which poor children in the inner-city were robbing, stealing and seriously injuring peers to obtain expensive Nike shoes such as Air Jordans. Publicly Nike ignored these charges for years. Considering these two incidents, there was a genuine public relation crisis where any company engaged in lawful IMC could have anticipated before it became a crisis. Instead, Nike just kept on marketing until crisis overwhelmed it. Nikes power as an IMC example is, at best overstated. Harris (1998) argues: That master marketer of our times, Phil Knight, likes to point out that while an ad page in Sports Illustrated costs $150,000, no amount of money can buy the front cover where swoosh-bearing athletes appear with great frequency. The omnipresent swoosh has a 90 percent-plus awareness among consumers, enabling it to stand alone. Many seasoned public relations professionals are quick to admit that companies that live by extraordinary market exposure can also die by the same token. In a recent effort to distance itself from its public relations problems, Nike first tried to eliminate its swoosh from its marketing campaigns and replace it with a kinder-friendlier marketing approach that emphasizes fair labor practices, the global community and environment. PROCTER GAMBLE Procter Gamble (PG) is considered by academic scholars to be a world-class marketing company and is said to stand 6th in Fortunes Most Admired Companies 2010 list (Wikipedia). Similar to the Nike brand, PG possesses some of the most particular brands in the world like Tide detergent, Duncan Hines cake mix, Jiff peanut butter, Crest toothpaste and Cover Girl cosmetics. It also has dominant market share with many of its leading brands. Even though, PGs marketing command has a record of external internal communication mistakes suggestive of Nike. PG openly misused both the Rely Tampon crisis and allegations that their packaging sign recognized the companys satanic links. It was said that PG lost face openly and separated employees when it was exposed that the company had phone-tapped a few staffs they had assumed of revealing business information. This was followed by a job of dealing with some of the physiological effects of its new replacement, Olestra. Without bearing in mind the public comeback, they allowed their scientists to name the release of Olestra, anal leakage (Henkoff, 1996), raising an additional sign of public controversy. Recently, PG shot itself in the business reputational base again. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) declared to the media that PG anticipated to meet its earnings forecast for the end of the quarter. Few weeks later, new CEO, Durk Jager was forced to declare to the same media that they had incorrectly over-estimated their periodical income and that the business would fall very short of its periodical earnings forecast. Over the following week, the companys stock fell sharply as financial markets and shareholders lost faith in the respected company. The Board of Directors of PG then fired Mr. Jager. New CEO, A.G. Lafley must now try to recover the market share and end the defections of many of the companys finest and brightest to the hi-tech industry. Regardless of Harris (1998) categorization to the opposite, these exemplars explain just how far away PG has been working from the essential IMC state of speaking to all stakeholders with a single voice (Schultz, et. Al., 1992). THE PROBLEM WITH IMPLEMENTING AT THE HIGHER LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT Nike and PG do a wonderful job with the marketing side of IMC without incorporating their employee and public relation functions, their company reputations have suffered. IMC theory has given a short shrift to the organizational barriers that often avoid companies from implementing IMC effectively. BARRIERS BETWEEN THE COMPANIES [NIKE AND PG] I have argued that two companies Nike and Procter Gamble, fall far short of the IMC model. Neither company has effectively integrated its many communication functions seamlessly. Both companies are very strong in terms of marketing, but they remain weak in employee communications, public relations or both. The question is, how do companies like these miss the IMC mark? The answer would be to a great level in their organizational structures. Both- Nike and PG are marketing organizations, organized around product marketing. PG demonstrates a brand management association where both staff and line functions are positioned within a companys various brands or products. While, PGs organizational structure has developed over the years, staff communication functions such as public relations and employee communications are organized around and directly support each brand or group of brands. Brands get the most resources and use huge internal influence. Beginning in June 1999, PG undertook a new organizational proposal that created a unit called Global Business Services providing a centralized staff support service across all of its Global Business Units (GBUs). Prior to this idea, each brand unit had its own communication staff functions with little company-wide centralization and control. While Nike uses another form of organization, its purpose and structure still highlight marketing its products and services. CEO- Phillip Knight is Nikes marketing chief and until its recent reputational woes, exemplified its bold approach to the market (Thurow, 1997). Most of the marketing decisions are made by the heads of these business units without the kind of teamwork and central planning required by IMC. Staff communication functions like investor relations, public affairs and human resources have traditionally played support roles. CONCLUSION The concept of IMC is a good one but it only exists at lower level management and not the higher level management and reasons for it are very clearly stated in the passage above.

Free My Antonia Essays: The Growth of Jim Burden :: My Antonia Essays

The Growth of Jim Burden in My Antonia "The movement from possession to loss, from union to separation, is the deep and central pattern of Jim Burden's experience in My Antonia." (Fisher-Wirth) I believe that this quote given by the critic Fisher-Wirth somewhat explains the life of Jim Burden and that although he went through both gains and losses throughout his life; he learned the meaning and purpose of his life with Antonia. In the beginning of the novel, Jim had a family but was soon abandoned by them do to both of their deaths. He was then on his way to his grandparents house in Nebraska to begin a new and different life. At this point, he began a union with both his grandparents as well as Antonia. Antonia and Jim became very close friends and went through many childhood experiences together. Their friendship was soon torn apart when Ambrosch and Jake engaged in a quarrel which separated the two families for quite some time. But once again, the families resolve their differences and become close again. (Chapter 1) When Chapter 2 begins, Jim and his family are separated from Antonia's because of their new move to town. After this separation, Jim and Antonia were brought together again when Antonia came to work in town. This pattern repeats once again as the result of Jim going off to college. He loses touch with Antonia but then, through Lena, becomes connected to Antonia again. As a result of this, Jim goes back home to visit for a short time and then leaves for New York. Finally, twenty years later, Jim travels back to see Antonia and her new, "enlarged" family. He was glad to see that Antonia was finally happy again and enjoyed meeting all her children as well as her husband. With Jim's trip back to Black Hawk, he was able to tie his whole life together. After leaving Antonia's home, Jim felt that his life had made a circle. He realized that through all his gains and losses, the past that he shared with Antonia was so precious. Free My Antonia Essays: The Growth of Jim Burden :: My Antonia Essays The Growth of Jim Burden in My Antonia "The movement from possession to loss, from union to separation, is the deep and central pattern of Jim Burden's experience in My Antonia." (Fisher-Wirth) I believe that this quote given by the critic Fisher-Wirth somewhat explains the life of Jim Burden and that although he went through both gains and losses throughout his life; he learned the meaning and purpose of his life with Antonia. In the beginning of the novel, Jim had a family but was soon abandoned by them do to both of their deaths. He was then on his way to his grandparents house in Nebraska to begin a new and different life. At this point, he began a union with both his grandparents as well as Antonia. Antonia and Jim became very close friends and went through many childhood experiences together. Their friendship was soon torn apart when Ambrosch and Jake engaged in a quarrel which separated the two families for quite some time. But once again, the families resolve their differences and become close again. (Chapter 1) When Chapter 2 begins, Jim and his family are separated from Antonia's because of their new move to town. After this separation, Jim and Antonia were brought together again when Antonia came to work in town. This pattern repeats once again as the result of Jim going off to college. He loses touch with Antonia but then, through Lena, becomes connected to Antonia again. As a result of this, Jim goes back home to visit for a short time and then leaves for New York. Finally, twenty years later, Jim travels back to see Antonia and her new, "enlarged" family. He was glad to see that Antonia was finally happy again and enjoyed meeting all her children as well as her husband. With Jim's trip back to Black Hawk, he was able to tie his whole life together. After leaving Antonia's home, Jim felt that his life had made a circle. He realized that through all his gains and losses, the past that he shared with Antonia was so precious.

Uses of Archetype, Foreshadow, and Symbolism in One Hundred Years of So

Uses of Archetype, Foreshadow, and Symbolism in One Hundred Years of Solitude Throughout all works of world literature, certain passages will have special significance to the plot progression of that novel. This key passage must provide insight upon the overall theme of that work through characterization, symbolism, and imagery. In Gabriel García Márquez's novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, the passage selected for commentary uses the literary techniques of archetype, foreshadow, and symbolism to inform characterization. The concept of consanguineous love affairs is also reinforced in this passage along with the idea of the necessity of outside influence on a family. These concepts inform the characterization of all of the characters presented and provides insight on the cyclic nature of the Buendía family history. From the beginning of the passage, García Márquez demonstrates that outside influences are beginning to impact the Buendía family lineage. The newborn son of Aureliano Segundo by Fernanda del Carpio, José Arcadio, is described as having "no mark of a Buendía." This shows the family's shift from repeated love affairs involving family members, such as that of the first José Arcadio and Rebeca. Also, the newborn's lack of a mark eludes to Fernanda's gaining power within the family; no mark of the traditional Buendía, Úrsula, is to be found. This idea is further suggested when Fernanda does not hesitate in naming him José Arcadio, despite Úrsula's doubts. This shows Úrsula's ability, having been the supreme matron of the Buendía family over... ...ir respective names and dressed them in different colored clothing marked with each one's initials, but when they began to go to school they decided to exchange clothing and bracelets and call each other by opposite names. The teacher, Melchor Escalona, used to knowing José Arcadio Segundo by his green shirt, went out of his mind when he discovered the latter was wearing Aureliano Segundo's bracelet and that the other one said, nevertheless, that his name was Aureliano Segundo in spite of the fact that he was wearing the white shirt and the bracelet with José Arcadio Segundo's name. From then on he was never sure who was who. Even when they grew up and life made them different, Úrsula still wondered if they themselves might not have made a mistake in some moment of their intricate game of confusion and had become changed forever.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Ten

Jon Jon climbed the steps slowly, trying not to think that this might be the last time ever. Ghost padded silently beside him. Outside, snow swirled through the castle gates, and the yard was all noise and chaos, but inside the thick stone walls it was still warm and quiet. Too quiet for Jon's liking. He reached the landing and stood for a long moment, afraid. Ghost nuzzled at his hand. He took courage from that. He straightened, and entered the room. Lady Stark was there beside his bed. She had been there, day and night, for close on a fortnight. Not for a moment had she left Bran's side. She had her meals brought to her there, and chamber pots as well, and a small hard bed to sleep on, though it was said she had scarcely slept at all. She fed him herself, the honey and water and herb mixture that sustained life. Not once did she leave the room. So Jon had stayed away. But now there was no more time. He stood in the door for a moment, afraid to speak, afraid to come closer. The window was open. Below, a wolf howled. Ghost heard and lifted his head. Lady Stark looked over. For a moment she did not seem to recognize him. Finally she blinked. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she asked in a voice strangely flat and emotionless. â€Å"I came to see Bran,† Jon said. â€Å"To say good-bye.† Her face did not change. Her long auburn hair was dull and tangled. She looked as though she had aged twenty years. â€Å"You've said it. Now go away.† Part of him wanted only to flee, but he knew that if he did he might never see Bran again. He took a nervous step into the room. â€Å"Please,† he said. Something cold moved in her eyes. â€Å"I told you to leave,† she said. â€Å"We don't want you here.† Once that would have sent him running. Once that might even have made him cry. Now it only made him angry. He would be a Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch soon, and face worse dangers than Catelyn Tully Stark. â€Å"He's my brother,† he said. â€Å"Shall I call the guards?† â€Å"Call them,† Jon said, defiant. â€Å"You can't stop me from seeing him.† He crossed the room, keeping the bed between them, and looked down on Bran where he lay. She was holding one of his hands. It looked like a claw. This was not the Bran he remembered. The flesh had all gone from him. His skin stretched tight over bones like sticks. Under the blanket, his legs bent in ways that made Jon sick. His eyes were sunken deep into black pits; open, but they saw nothing. The fall had shrunken him somehow. He looked half a leaf, as if the first strong wind would carry him off to his grave. Yet under the frail cage of those shattered ribs, his chest rose and fell with each shallow breath. â€Å"Bran,† he said, â€Å"I'm sorry I didn't come before. I was afraid.† He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks. Jon no longer cared. â€Å"Don't die, Bran. Please. We're all waiting for you to wake up. Me and Robb and the girls, everyone . . . â€Å" Lady Stark was watching. She had not raised a cry. Jon took that for acceptance. Outside the window, the direwolf howled again. The wolf that Bran had not had time to name. â€Å"I have to go now,† Jon said. â€Å"Uncle Benjen is waiting. I'm to go north to the Wall. We have to leave today, before the snows come.† He remembered how excited Bran had been at the prospect of the journey. It was more than he could bear, the thought of leaving him behind like this. Jon brushed away his tears, leaned over, and kissed his brother lightly on the lips. â€Å"I wanted him to stay here with me,† Lady Stark said softly. Jon watched her, wary. She was not even looking at him. She was talking to him, but for a part of her, it was as though he were not even in the room. â€Å"I prayed for it,† she said dully. â€Å"He was my special boy. I went to the sept and prayed seven times to the seven faces of god that Ned would change his mind and leave him here with me. Sometimes prayers are answered.† Jon did not know what to say. â€Å"It wasn't your fault,† he managed after an awkward silence. Her eyes found him. They were full of poison. â€Å"I need none of your absolution, bastard.† Jon lowered his eyes. She was cradling one of Bran's hands. He took the other, squeezed it. Fingers like the bones of birds. â€Å"Good-bye,† he said. He was at the door when she called out to him. â€Å"Jon,† she said. He should have kept going, but she had never called him by his name before. He turned to find her looking at his face, as if she were seeing it for the first time. â€Å"Yes?† he said. â€Å"It should have been you,† she told him. Then she turned back to Bran and began to weep, her whole body shaking with the sobs. Jon had never seen her cry before. It was a long walk down to the yard. Outside, everything was noise and confusion. Wagons were being loaded, men were shouting, horses were being harnessed and saddled and led from the stables. A light snow had begun to fall, and everyone was in an uproar to be off. Robb was in the middle of it, shouting commands with the best of them. He seemed to have grown of late, as if Bran's fall and his mother's collapse had somehow made him stronger. Grey Wind was at his side. â€Å"Uncle Benjen is looking for you,† he told Jon. â€Å"He wanted to be gone an hour ago.† â€Å"I know,† Jon said. â€Å"Soon.† He looked around at all the noise and confusion. â€Å"Leaving is harder than I thought.† â€Å"For me too,† Robb said. He had snow in his hair, melting from the heat of his body. â€Å"Did you see him?† Jon nodded, not trusting himself to speak. â€Å"He's not going to die,† Robb said. â€Å"I know it.† â€Å"You Starks are hard to kill,† Jon agreed. His voice was flat and tired. The visit had taken all the strength from him. Robb knew something was wrong. â€Å"My mother . . . â€Å" â€Å"She was . . . very kind,† Jon told him. Robb looked relieved. â€Å"Good.† He smiled. â€Å"The next time I see you, you'll be all in black.† Jon forced himself to smile back. â€Å"It was always my color. How long do you think it will be?† â€Å"Soon enough,† Robb promised. He pulled Jon to him and embraced him fiercely. â€Å"Farewell, Snow.† Jon hugged him back. â€Å"And you, Stark. Take care of Bran.† â€Å"I will.† They broke apart and looked at each other awkwardly. â€Å"Uncle Benjen said to send you to the stables if I saw you,† Robb finally said. â€Å"I have one more farewell to make,† Jon told him. â€Å"Then I haven't seen you,† Robb replied. Jon left him standing there in the snow, surrounded by wagons and wolves and horses. It was a short walk to the armory. He picked up his package and took the covered bridge across to the Keep. Arya was in her room, packing a polished ironwood chest that was bigger than she was. Nymeria was helping. Arya would only have to point, and the wolf would bound across the room, snatch up some wisp of silk in her jaws, and fetch it back. But when she smelled Ghost, she sat down on her haunches and yelped at them. Arya glanced behind her, saw Jon, and jumped to her feet. She threw her skinny arms tight around his neck. â€Å"I was afraid you were gone,† she said, her breath catching in her throat. â€Å"They wouldn't let me out to say good-bye.† â€Å"What did you do now?† Jon was amused. Arya disentangled herself from him and made a face. â€Å"Nothing. I was all packed and everything.† She gestured at the huge chest, no more than a third full, and at the clothes that were scattered all over the room. â€Å"Septa Mordane says I have to do it all over. My things weren't properly folded, she says. A proper southron lady doesn't just throw her clothes inside her chest like old rags, she says.† â€Å"Is that what you did, little sister?† â€Å"Well, they're going to get all messed up anyway,† she said. â€Å"Who cares how they're folded?† â€Å"Septa Mordane,† Jon told her. â€Å"I don't think she'd like Nymeria helping, either.† The she-wolf regarded him silently with her dark golden eyes. â€Å"It's just as well. I have something for you to take with you, and it has to be packed very carefully.† Her face lit up. â€Å"A present?† â€Å"You could call it that. Close the door.† Wary but excited, Arya checked the hall. â€Å"Nymeria, here. Guard.† She left the wolf out there to warn of intruders and closed the door. By then Jon had pulled off the rags he'd wrapped it in. He held it out to her. Arya's eyes went wide. Dark eyes, like his. â€Å"A sword,† she said in a small, hushed breath. The scabbard was soft grey leather, supple as sin. Jon drew out the blade slowly, so she could see the deep blue sheen of the steel. â€Å"This is no toy,† he told her. â€Å"Be careful you don't cut yourself. The edges are sharp enough to shave with.† â€Å"Girls don't shave,† Arya said. â€Å"Maybe they should. Have you ever seen the septa's legs?† She giggled at him. â€Å"It's so skinny.† â€Å"So are you,† Jon told her. â€Å"I had Mikken make this special. The bravos use swords like this in Pentos and Myr and the other Free Cities. It won't hack a man's head off, but it can poke him full of holes if you're fast enough.† â€Å"I can be fast,† Arya said. â€Å"You'll have to work at it every day.† He put the sword in her hands, showed her how to hold it, and stepped back. â€Å"How does it feel? Do you like the balance?† â€Å"I think so,† Arya said. â€Å"First lesson,† Jon said. â€Å"Stick them with the pointy end.† Arya gave him a whap on the arm with the flat of her blade. The blow stung, but Jon found himself grinning like an idiot. â€Å"I know which end to use,† Arya said. A doubtful look crossed her face. â€Å"Septa Mordane will take it away from me.† â€Å"Not if she doesn't know you have it,† Jon said. â€Å"Who will I practice with?† â€Å"You'll find someone,† Jon promised her. â€Å"King's Landing is a true city, a thousand times the size of Winterfell. Until you find a partner, watch how they fight in the yard. Run, and ride, make yourself strong. And whatever you do . . . â€Å" Arya knew what was coming next. They said it together. † . . . don't . . . tell . . . Sansa!† Jon messed up her hair. â€Å"I will miss you, little sister.† Suddenly she looked like she was going to cry. â€Å"I wish you were coming with us.† â€Å"Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle. Who knows?† He was feeling better now. He was not going to let himself be sad. â€Å"I better go. I'll spend my first year on the Wall emptying chamber pots if I keep Uncle Ben waiting any longer.† Arya ran to him for a last hug. â€Å"Put down the sword first,† Jon warned her, laughing. She set it aside almost shyly and showered him with kisses. When he turned back at the door, she was holding it again, trying it for balance. â€Å"I almost forgot,† he told her. â€Å"All the best swords have names.† â€Å"Like Ice,† she said. She looked at the blade in her hand. â€Å"Does this have a name? Oh, tell me.† â€Å"Can't you guess?† Jon teased. â€Å"Your very favorite thing.† Arya seemed puzzled at first. Then it came to her. She was that quick. They said it together: â€Å"Needle!† The memory of her laughter warmed him on the long ride north.