Yoren only took Arya to get her out of Kings Landing and home. Maybe that wasn't made clear in the show but in the book he recognized her (that's why he shielded her from seeing Ned beheaded). He cut her hair and dressed her as a boy and told her to act like a boy. His plans were to pass by winterfell on the way to the wall and drop her off.
As to Ned taking the black, it's a common refuge for high born to take. You'll find that there are other highborn men on the wall. It's a debtor's prison, a place for second and third sons (that'll never inherit) a place to dump unwnted children (like Sam, who was sent after his father had another son, IIRC, to make a clear line of succession)
It's analogous to the priesthood of old, a place to send/dump/hide the unwanted and inconvenient. Hence why once they make their vows and take the black they can't leave, under pain of death. You saw in the first episode, Ned himself beheaded the deserter.
Now, I suppose, once Ned got there, before he took his vows he could be allowed to leave, however I'm sure Cersei had him promise - and planned to do it in front of the crowd ' Ned stark, I will let you live if you choose to take the black', he'd either agree or die. and once he agreed in front of thousands he'd never go back on it.
As to Ned taking the black, it's a common refuge for high born to take. You'll find that there are other highborn men on the wall. It's a debtor's prison, a place for second and third sons (that'll never inherit) a place to dump unwnted children (like Sam, who was sent after his father had another son, IIRC, to make a clear line of succession)
It's analogous to the priesthood of old, a place to send/dump/hide the unwanted and inconvenient. Hence why once they make their vows and take the black they can't leave, under pain of death. You saw in the first episode, Ned himself beheaded the deserter.
Now, I suppose, once Ned got there, before he took his vows he could be allowed to leave, however I'm sure Cersei had him promise - and planned to do it in front of the crowd ' Ned stark, I will let you live if you choose to take the black', he'd either agree or die. and once he agreed in front of thousands he'd never go back on it.
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