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  ====''A Game of Thrones''====
  Upon arriving at the Wall, Sam is soon bullied by Ser Alliser Thorne and the fellow recruits for his weight, shyness and clumsiness in training.  Jon Snow takes pity on Sam and defends him in arms training.  Later on, Sam confesses his life story to Jon, who sympathizes with Sam and secretly uses his influence among the recruits (making violent threats when necessary) to protect Sam from harm.  When Sam fails to progress in fight training and is not deemed worthy to join the Night's Watch, Jon persuades Maester Aemon take in Sam as a personal steward assigned to help Aemon in the rookery and library.
  Sam is the first person to notice something strange about the corpse of rangers Othor and Jafer Flowers (who are actually wights 
  sent to assassinate Lord Commander Jeor Mormont).  When Jon tries to abandon the Night's Watch to join Robb Stark's army and avenge the death of his father Eddard Stark, Sam alerts their fellow recruits, who catch up to Jon and convince him to not break his vows to the Night's Watch.