A Day to Remember 2

Jon

The library of Castle Black was as dingy as he expected. Books, scrolls and thick leatherback tombs of ancient knowledge lined the walls of the room, the couple of candles he'd lit the only source of light and warmth as he sat on the rickety bench and read through one of the books he'd grabbed in haste.

A distraction to cool his temper.

His uncle had been right yesterday, the first thing he needed to do was keep a level head, and he was already failing at that.

He couldn't have helped it though, those pair of idiots had brought it on themselves, a clear attempt at intimidating what they thought was the fresh new recruit at Castle Black.

The truth of it really was that he was in desperate need of a release and they'd just handed him an opportunity on a plate.

He shook his head as he attempted to immerse himself in the book in front of him, Etched in Stone the spine read and it seemed to have something to do with axes.

This wasn't working.

He sighed as he closed the book and moved it across the table away from him. He sat there in silence for a few minutes before resorting to just watching the flame on the candle slowly melt the wax. Looking into the flickering flame was surprisingly helpful at calming him, the random flicks of heat and the slow dripping candle a balm to his running mind.

Weren't the Targaryens obsessed with this sort of stuff? He chuckled humourlessly.

Targaryen.

A foreign name to him even living in Winterfell all his life, a word not to be mentioned or at least not around him. Supposed it made sense with all things considered now.

Turned out he was one of them.

Or shared blood with them at least, he could be a Targaryen bastard for all he knew.

Did Lyanna and Rhaegar wed? He wondered.

He was broken from his thoughts as he heard footsteps and the rattle of chains coming from the stairs that lead into the library.

The man, who was clearly the old maester's helper and Aemon himself came shuffling into the library, the servant whispering into Aemon's ear as the old man's face seemed to light up.

"Ah, young Jon, It's such a delight to find you here." Aemon said as he shuffled over to the table he was currently stood up at. He turned to his helper "You may leave me, I'd like a chat with Jon." He said as the man bowed and left back up the stairs where they'd just come from.

He reached out and helped out Aemon, easing him into a chair "Thank you." He said as Jon just nodded "No problem." He replied.

He returned to his seat and sat there for a few seconds in companionable silence before Aemon spoke up.

"I hear there was an incident in the yard earlier." He said, a small smile on his aged face.

He sighed, he didn't really want to get back into that "Nothing important, just a couple of idiots trying to start an argument, it's over now." He replied.

"You never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level and beat you through experience." Aemon mused. He just chuckled, he might use that one himself.

"What had you worked up so much, son?" Aemon asked, incredibly perceptive for a man lacking sight.

He sighed, does he tell him? He might as well, the man probably hasn't been with family for years and he already seems to suspect who he really was anyway.

"I got some news last night." He said, resolved to the fact that he'd be talking about this again so soon. It was still raw to the touch and he hoped burying it for a few days would sort his fucked up head.

"I hope it was good news." Aemon replied.

"I don't know if it was or not." He said "I had a little cry but they weren't tears of happiness." He said as he cleared his throat.

"That's for you to decide." Was all Aemon said.

He nodded to himself, he cried for the mother he'd never meet, he cried from relief of finding out her identity, he cried out of worry, of his siblings no longer seeing him as a brother anymore.

And he cried out in anger, of the lies and the betrayal of a man claiming to be his father.

"You have to take the positives and negatives out of this news, to decide for yourself if the overall changes are good or bad for you." The old maester said.

He knew.

He swallowed the lump in his throat "You know don't you maester?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Aemon smiled softly "You may call me uncle." He said. Jon dropped his head and looked at his lap to hold himself together.

"Uncle." He rasped out as the old man's smile became wobbly.

Aemon let out a joyous laugh as tears, of joy he hoped, slowly ran down his cheeks. "Can an old man like me get a hug from his blood." he asked as Jon smiled and chuckled.

Maybe this won't be as bad as he suspected, he'd just gained another uncle!

"Of course, uncle." He replied as he got to his feet and walked over to Aemon. He helped him to his feet and brought him into a big hug. They must have hugged for what seemed like minutes.

That's until there was a throat being cleared...

He turned towards the noise and saw his other uncle giving the pair of them a confused look, he was smiling however.

"What's this then? I don't get hugs like that Aemon and I've known you for years." His uncle Benjen japed as he made his way to them.

"Ah brother Benjen, it's not every day a dragon is spotted this far north." Aemon said as he broke away from the embrace. It's a good job as well or he'd have felt the shock go through his body, being described as a dragon had well and truly caught him by surprise.

Benjen chuckled "I see you've told him about her then." He said as all three took a seat. He looked at Benjen with wide eyes and shook his head.

"Her?" Aemon asked, brow furrowed.

He shook his head at Benjen who had the decency to wince and mouth 'sorry' at him "Erm yeah..." He chuckled "I would tell you sit down for this but you already are." He said.

Aemon smiled at him "Have you wed Jon? Is that it?" He asked.

He snorted "No, not exactly. We've bonded though." He said.

"Oh how lovely, what's her name?" He asked, unaware of what he was walking into.

"Her name's Kireina." He answered. Uncle Benjen was smiling now.

Aemon smiled wistfully "Ah, a beautiful name, what is she like Jon?" he asked.

"Bloody massive." He said as Benjen his snort with a cough and shook his head.

Aemon looked thoroughly confused "Massive? I'm...okay..." He drawled.

He decided to have mercy on him "Kireina isn't a person uncle Aemon, she's...well she's a dragon." He finally answered, smile on his face as he waited for the man's reaction.

A look of awe on the man's face took over as he gasped, holding his chest as his breathing became heavier.

Wait, shit.

"Uncle Aemon! Are you okay!?" He asked as he got to his feet and crouched next to his uncle.

I hope I haven't just killed my new uncle!

Thankfully, the man's breathing evened out as he collected himself. Jon let out a sigh of relief as he looked over at Benjen, smile completely gone from before.

The smack around the head caught him completely of guard as Aemon clipped around the back of it.

"Are you trying to get rid of me so soon Jon?" He asked as Jon rubbed the back of his and sat back down.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." He said, genuinely remorseful for what he'd done.

"Did my ears deceive me or did you say, dragon?" Aemon asked.

"Yeah."

"Hmm. I want to believe you Jon but..."

"He's telling the truth Aemon, I saw her with my own eyes last night. I couldn't believe it either until I saw her for myself." His uncle Benjen intervened.

Aemon looked awe struck "Gods..." He seemed to say to himself as he leant back in his chair.

He needed to meet her, they both did. He had to make it happen somehow.

He cleared his throat "Erm...would you...would you like to meet her, both of you?" He asked as Benjen's eyebrows shot up.

"I would be honoured." Aemon breathed out.

"I...I don't think..." Benjen murmured.

He shook his head to stop his uncle's protests "It'll be easy, a horse and carriage to get us a few miles out and a little white lie as to why uncle Aemon is with us will do the trick." He said as he looked at Benjen. "We'll say we're helping him collect a specific plant or tree bark for research or something, it'll be fine." He explained.

"Do not deny this old man such a wonderful thing brother Benjen, we'll go with or without but with you is preferable. We don't want the brother's thinking Jon here has stolen me." Aemon chuckled as Benjen shook his head and smiled.

"Fine..." He said but pointed at him "...but if she eats me, I'll haunt you forever." He warned.

He shook his head "She's a good girl, she won't do that, trust me." He explained as he got to his feet.

Benjen looked shocked "What!? Now!? You want to go now!?" He said as Jon helped Aemon to his feet.

He chuckled "Of course...or are you too pussy uncle?" He asked as he gave Benjen a grin.

"Come along now brother Benjen, I'm not getting any younger and I want to meet a dragon before my time is over." Aemon said as Jon helped him towards the stairs. "Stop being a big pussy and help an old man experience one of his dreams, chop chop." Aemon finished as Jon just guffawed.

"Fine." His uncle Benjen muttered under his breath as he got to his feet and helped him escort Aemon to the stables. Benjen shot away for a quick minute and came back with an armful of cloaks and furs.

"Don't want you freezing to death before you get there, do we?" Benjen said as he helped Aemon into a big fur cloak and up onto the only carriage that seemed to be in the stables.

"Got yours out of your room as well, along with these." He said as he handed his bear fur cloak and his swords to him "I let the Lord Commander know that we were heading out as well, he seemed to buy that white lie about bark you came up with." He said.

Benjen nodded to katanas he was strapping to his back "Some fancy blades you got there, there's a story behind them I'm sure." Benjen fished.

He replied as he finished strapping them to his back "There is indeed, and I'll tell you that story when we get back." He answered.

Benjen looked at Aemon who was getting comfortable in his seat with a big grin on his face "Look at him..." He said to Jon as he nodded towards the old man "...like a pig in shit. Think you might be making his week doing this." He said to Jon.

"More like the past 50 years brother Benjen." Aemon responded from where he was sat. Benjen just shook his head and smiled.

"C'mon then, before we start losing light. Wanna be back before it gets dark." Benjen said as they all got seated in the carriage and headed out of the castle.

The gate closed behind them as they made their way down the beaten path away from Castle Black, he looked behind them towards it and nudged Benjen in the arm "This'll have em talking I bet." He said as Benjen directed the horse on.

"Ah let em have their fun. Life as a brother can get terribly dull." Benjen answered.

"Until you meet a dragon." Uncle Aemon furthered as Jon chuckled at the child like glee on the old man's face.

"You're really looking forward to this aren't ya?" He asked with a smile.

Aemon's smile didn't faulter as he turned to him "You have no idea." He replied.

They must have ridden for about half an hour before he sensed Kireina close.

"Could you land somewhere close Kireina, I'd like you to meet some of my family." He asked her through their bond.

"Absolutely." She replied. She sounded excited herself at the prospect.

"How much further do you want us to go?" His uncle Benjen asked.

"We can stop here, she's close." He replied as Benjen pulled on the reigns to halt the horse.

"You seem to have a deep connection with her." Aemon said as they all disembarked from the carriage and slowly made their way off the road.

He held on to Aemon's arm to keep him steady as they trudged through the snow and made their way towards a clearing where he knew Kireina was already waiting for them.

She seems very keen. He thought amusingly.

"Aye we do, at first I thought it was the old skinchanger blood from my Stark side but she explained to me through our bond that it was the valyrian blood as well. Blew my mind the first time I heard her in my head." He explained.

"I can only imagine." Aemon replied as Benjen chuckled.

He helped Aemon over a fallen trunk "We're close." He said to him as they climbed over what he hoped wasn't something to do with Kireina.

"You insult me Jon, I've gotten a lot better since the forest." She projected.

"I know you have, I apologise." He replied.

"Seven hells..." His uncle whispered out from in front as he finally helped Aemon over the trunk. He turned around to see what had him cursing.

About a hundred feet away from them, Kireina was laid down with her tail curled around herself, wings tucked in and her eyes were eyeing his uncle Benjen with a burning intensity.

He ducked his head and smiled.

Benjen cleared his throat as he slowly stepped backwards "Jon?..." He whispered out. He chuckled at his uncle's actions.

He completely understood his uncle's trepidation, but it didn't mean he didn't find it funny.

He looked at Aemon "We're here uncle." He said to him as the old man's face lit up.

He escorted Aemon towards the bulk of impossible power, looking at Benjen's frozen stance as he walked past him "It's okay uncle Benjen, she won't hurt you. She's a good girl." He said to his uncle who was in slack jawed awe.

He saw him visibly gulp but nod in response, moving closer to Jon than he really needed to be.

Kireina lifted her head into the air and seemed to nose the three of them from a distance.

"They smell like you." She said to him.

"I imagine they do Kireina, their blood runs through me." He replied.

"Yes, it does." She answered with conviction as she lowered her head and looked at him intensely.

It would seem she'd made her mind up on the whole situation and he trusted her word over Lord Stark's any day of the week now.

The meet and greet between her and his two uncles was brief but beautiful. Uncle Aemon had teared up as he stroked his hand down her snout and flank, whispering words of endearment and all round having the time of his life.

His uncle Benjen was a lot more skittish than Aemon to Jon's amusement. He'd stroked her down her side and that was about it, he mainly stood awfully close to Jon and just stared at her.

Now they were heading back to Castle Black, Benjen had ripped off a piece of bark from the fallen trunk they'd climbed over to sell the fib he'd told Jeor. Aemon had climbed up into the carriage with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on him.

He was glad he could do that for him.

The journey back was swift and without incident, Aemon was talking about Kireina almost all the way back to his amusement.

"What about you uncle?" He said towards Benjen "What was your favourite part about meeting her?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"The part where I din't piss me sen." He replied, him and Aemon just chuckled at him.

They rolled into the courtyard of Castle Black with an hour or so of light left if the low hanging sun was anything to go by.

"Got what ya needed maester!?" The Lord Commander spoke as he made his way towards the three of them. He was currently helping Aemon out of the carriage.

"Most definitely, Lord Commander." His uncle replied. Benjen joined them from retrieving the bark and handing the horse and carriage to the stable hand.

The old bear nodded as he looked at the three of them "Good." Was all he said as he turned on his heel and made his way out of the yard.

Before he left however, he turned around "That reminds me..." He said as he walked back towards them "A raven came, for you Jon." He said as he pulled a small scroll from his sleeve. "From your brother Lord Robb, it would seem." He finished as he handed him the scroll.

He looked at uncle Benjen in confusion as he opened it up, looking down at the note and scanning it answered his intrigue.

His brother was getting married very soon and he really wanted Jon to be there for it.

Apparently, Lord Karstark along with Lady Alys, Lord Harrion and a few other guests had turned up at Winterfell literally two days after Jon had left for Castle Black. Lady Stark was hell bent on having the wedding as soon as they came through the gates that very night but Robb wanted him there, Alys would also really appreciate his appearance as well after what he'd done for her and Harrion.

He handed the note to uncle Benjen as he furrowed his brow.

Looks like I'll be back in Winterfell a lot earlier than I wanted to be. He mused.

Uncle Benjen looked back at him with an odd look, almost like he was asking if he'd be okay going back so soon.

He just shrugged his shoulders and gave him a sad grin.

Robb wanted him there at his wedding and nothing else mattered at the moment, he'd be damned if he ruined his brother's wedding by making a scene with Lord Stark.

"Looks like a hot meal and an early night for me uncle, back on the road at the crack of dawn." He said as they helped Aemon towards his quarters.

"You sure you're gonna be alright?" He asked as they entered the maester's quarter.

"He's going to be fine. He's going to be patient and level headed, and he's going to come out of this an even better man than the one I met only yesterday." Uncle Aemon said as he took his seat.

He felt infinite gratitude and respect for the man sat in front of him in that moment.

"Thank you, uncle." He said as he squeezed the older man's shoulder.

The rest of the night was spent chatting with Aemon and Benjen as they ate their supper and before he knew it, he was hugging the pair of them and heading for bed.

His night's sleep was a lot easier than the one he'd had the night before, regardless of the weird dream he had. A dream about blue eyed shadows following him through a forest as he tried to hunt his dinner.

He woke up before he got chance to encounter one of them so that was that.

He got washed and ready for his journey, packing his rations that he'd been given for it before heading out of his chamber and heading towards the common hall. A few brothers gave him a couple of looks but apart from that it was pretty uneventful as he grabbed a hard roll and a mug of ale.

He barely tasted his breakfast, thank god, and before he knew it, he was at the main gate to the castle, hugging both of his uncle's goodbye.

He hugged Benjen first "Please don't do anything stupid Jon." He said as he patted him on the back.

"I'll try uncle but I'm not promising anything. It'll depend on your brother won't it?" He replied as he gave him a sad smile.

He hugged his uncle Aemon after that "I'll miss you. I've only just met you and I'm already saying goodbye." He said as he broke from the embrace.

Aemon put his hands on his shoulders and looked at him "We'll meet again sometime soon, whether it be in this life or the next." He said. A sadness washed over him.

"Uncle..."

"She'll be proud of you your mother, I know it. And so will your father, your real father when you meet him." He whispered out as his eyes became hazy.

He sighed as he nodded, he looked down at the ground to avoid the looks from both his uncles.

He was never comfortable in these types of situations.

Uncle Benjen patted him on the back "C'mon then, off with ya. You don't want to be late to your brother's wedding, you'll never hear the end of it." He said as he smiled at him.

It still felt right Robb being referred to as his brother.

Hope it'll be mutual.

He nodded at them both as he headed out the main gate, the morning sun beaming over the snowy landscape in front of him looked stunning this far north.

The walk took him around an hour before he reunited with Kireina, he found her with blood around her mouth which he would later learn was due to her hunting whale off the eastern coast.

Explained the smell as well.

"C'mon then, back to Winterfell we go." He said to her before she took off with haste, southbound towards a place he both did and didn't want to be heading to right now.