Just because he had done those things doesn't mean they had been easy. It had been a simple plan at first, get some information the Watch could use in their defense of Castle Black, or even confirm that an attack was coming, or (which had been too much to hope for) find a way to stop the attack before it happened. That had been the plan. He hadn't counted on her upending it like she did. Even as he wanted to stay, he knew he couldn't.

"It took a bigger army than yours to defeat Castle Black." He'd come here from the midst of dealing with that threat, and he'll be on edge until he knows what came of it.

"The castles and the towers aren't the same anymore."