Chapter 4: The Father of Dragons

Jon

It had been a month since the hatching of the dragons, and already they had grown to more than twice their size. Some of the Free Folk who witnessed what happened were bringing the story back to the others that came with them. That would either make the rest of them even more uneasy than they already were about their new lives.

The brothers on the other hand were afraid of Jon. They feared that if they challenged him then they would have to be subject to the dragons. It seemed strange for them to act that way when the dragons were only hatchlings and couldn't so much as puff smoke, let alone make a spark.

Dragons would certainly change things. And word would soon spread throughout the North about them and once the Crown found out, gods know how they would react. To that from happening, Jon ordered no word of the dragons to leave the castle.

And yet in all that time, Jon neglected to name them. The matter of such was constantly brought up by Sam and Edd. Sam, however, found a few additional books that Maester had kept in his personal collection of books hidden away in a trunk. One of them was account of the Tragedy at Summerhall and the other was some text written in High Valyrian. The latter had handwritten notes and even a few translation keys throughout its pages, most likely made by Maester Aemon.

Jon had only read through a few pages of the texts after Sam had gone through them and added his own notes. It was the least his friend could do before journeying to the Citadel and become a maester. He searched for any clues that could help him understand what he had to do. He didn't want the dragons but he wouldn't let such creatures of legend die out from the world. Unfortunately, the only information he learned was a few words in High Valyrian pertaining to dragons and an example of how NOT to hatch dragon eggs.

Sam and Edd joined Jon in his office as he was going over documents sent from the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch by the Sea. Dennis Mallister was informing his Lord Commander that there were some of the Free Folk asking to be let through the Wall and Cotter Pyke wrote that there were Essosi people arriving at the castle.

"I'm not naming them, they are not my dragons!" Jon exclaimed. He leaned back in his chair with a hand over his eyes. He was exhausted from all of his work. While he wanted no business with the dragons, he had no choice but to see to their care. He kept them in his office most of the time. Right now, the white one was hiding under Jon's desk while the blue one was sleeping with Ghost.

"And yet," Edd began, "they seem to like you more than us."

Sam had cut in between them. "Maybe it's because you're the first one they saw." Jon looked at him confused and awaiting Sam's theory. "For some animals, when they are born, they imprint on the first creature they see who they think is their parent. In this case, the girls seem to have chosen you as their father." Sam had a fixed smirk on his face the whole time he was talking.

"Girls?" Edd asked. "How do you know they're girls?"

Sam had blushed slightly before he gave his answer "I've been around them long enough that they let me get close now. So, this morning I checked between their legs and… looked at what was there, or rather wasn't."

Edd's brow was raised high, surprised Sam did that kind of observation. And yet, the one who laughed was Jon. Ever since his return from beyond the Wall, he was brooding fairly often. The white dragon crawled out from under Jon's desk and climbed on top of it. It made a growl that sounded more like a cat's purr as if demanding him to pet her. Jon placed his hand under her chin and began to slowly scratch it.

Jon locked eyes with the little white dragon. The fiery color was one that he had known and loved once before. He could almost hear Ygritte's words as if she were with him now. 'You know nothin, Jon Snow.'

It was at this moment he reached his breaking point. "Ygris." He whispered.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Her name will be Ygris. Her eyes are the same color as Ygritte's hair."

"And the other one?" Edd inquired, not letting Jon off yet.

Jon looked over to the blue dragon who was sleeping next to Ghost by his hearth. The blue of her wings kept making him think of the winter rose. He remembered that there was someone his father always gave a winter rose to. Someone in the crypts of Winterfell. His Aunt Lyanna.

"Lyarras, after my aunt Lyanna. Prince Rhaegar crowned her at a tourney at Harrenhal with winter roses." When Lyarras heard her name, her head raised and looked at Jon as if it was her name the whole time. Jon stood up and put on his cloak. "I'm going on watch duty, I need to think some things through." He said as he walked out. Ygris quickly jumped off the desk and tried to fly after Jon, but she did not have the strength to even get very high from the ground. Jon closed the door behind him and made his way to the top of the Wall, hearing the cry of Ygris from the room.

He didn't want to take her with him. A part of him wanted to accept the dragons but he couldn't let himself. In the month of their hatching, it was like having two children at the Wall. But these children did not understand all the struggles and bickerings of men. They were just their to others around them with wonder and awe, something that the Wall itself had done to Jon when he first gazed upon its structure.

He didn't want to become attached to them. He loved something once and lost it. They would just more to lose if the dead came. And If the crown found out, they would either take the dragons or have them killed. Jon didn't want to think of that after already losing so much.

At the top, Jon walked over to someone who was brooding more than he was. "You've been distant as of late, Grenn." Grenn didn't even turn his head to face Jon, he continued to stare over the Wall. He had kept his distance from the others ever since his return. He was troubled by something by didn't think to share what with anyone.

"Have Edd and Sam made any progress with you and your dragons?" Grenn asked.

"They're not my dragons, I never asked for them, I never wanted them." Just like he never asked or wanted Ghost when he and his brothers found the pups. But Jon learned to love his direwolf more than imagined. But as time went on, the litter began to die out. First Lady, then Greywind. Which one of the pups was to be next to die?

"That doesn't answer the question." Grenn turned his head to face Jon, his brow arched as if he knew the answer already.

Jon sighed at Grenn. "The white one is called Ygris and the blue one is called Lyarras." Jon looked out to the north. In the distance, he could see a snowstorm headed their way. Luckily it wasn't the one they all dreaded. "I received word from Eastwatch that some Essosi ships ferried a large group of men wanting to join the Watch."

Grenn's lips curved into a small smile. "How many?"

"About one hundred and fifty. Twelve of whom are prisoners who chose the black rather than the Queen of Mereen's justice… The rest came freely to take the black. I was also told that there were more coming, but one hundred and fifty is all that could be ferried at a time."

"Seems she came through," Grenn said.

"Who?"

Grenn's smile turned into a smirk. "A woman I met in Mereen."

"Queen Daenerys?"

Grenn nodded as he finally faced Jon.

"What was she like?"

"She's the most beautiful woman in the world. Her hair was like silver but also a little bit of gold. And her eyes, it was like something out of a storybook."

Jon had heard little about her, but so far she seemed far from what the Mad King was. "What about her dragons? Did you get a look at them too?"

Grenn shook his head and turned his gaze back beyond the the Wall. "I only heard stories, but she has two of them chained beneath the Great Pyramid. Something about the big one burning a child. After that, it hasn't been seen."

That was another thing that worried Jon. He was lucky that Ghost was quite tame when he raised him. But dragons are different creatures. And from what Grenn just said, even a descendant of the people who rode them couldn't fully control her dragons. What would happen if Ygris and Lyarras burned a village or set fire to one of the castles when they grew enough? There were so many questions he had and no one to answer them.

But such things would have to wait when Jon noticed a familiar face approaching.

"Ser Davos, what are you doing here?"

The onion knight stood before the two brothers as presentable as possible. "I've come at the request of Stannis. Our camp was attacked and raided not long ago and our supplies are all but depleted. We need your help."

Jon looked at Grenn before looking back at Ser Davos. "Walk with me." Grenn and Ser Davos followed Jon over to the lift and they all boarded it. As it descended, Jon gave his reply to the King's request. "I'm sorry to hear about what happened, but with our food and rations stretched thin as it is, we can't afford any to spare. Had the Baratheon soldiers contributed to their stay here, we might have had some to give."

"You helped us capture Mance Rayder and defeat the Wildlings North of the Wall." Grenn stated, "Even then, Stannis only helped us so that he could use the Night's Watch as a shield from the war."

Ser Davos didn't falter from his position of discussion. "If you can send Stannis what he needs for one battle, it could turn the tide for the entire war. With Winterfell taken and the Boltons gone, Stannis will have the support of the North for defeating the family who murdered their King. He can repay what was given tenfold and has promised to give you just as many men."

"I'm sorry, Ser Davos, but that's too great a risk. We've barely the men to gather what we need and more are coming from Essos."

"Essos? Why would anyone from Essos come to the Night's Watch?"

"It was repayment for a delivered message." Grenn informed.

"Must've been some bloody good message." Ser Davos commented.

"The ships bring supplies as well, but we need them all." Jon said.

"Whould it help change your mind if I told you your sister Sansa is in Winterfell?"

Jon's head turned to Ser Davos immediately. He wasn't sure if the man was so desperate that he was trying to play Jon or desperate that he had no other leverage. "What do you mean?"

"From what we heard, your sister was sold to the Boltons by someone and is now married to Roose's bastard Ramsay. We haven't heard much about him, but the things we have aren't good."

That changed things. Jon had once made the choice to stay with the watch instead of fight with for family and now that same question of who to fight for was thrusted upon him. He thought back to what Lord Commander Mormont had asked him long ago.

'Are you a boy who wants to play at war or a man of the Night's Watch?'

His sister was in the hands of the man who murdered their brother and her mother. But she was home and away from King's Landing.

"I want to help Sansa, i do. But I can't. We just don't have the supplies." Jon confessed. He wanted to do something now that he knew that he was so close, but he couldn't go and forsake his vows. He wanted to do whatever the right thing to do was, but he wasn't sure what exactly that meant. To Take part in a King's War to fight for his family or to prepare for the war and fight for the world. But maybe he could do something. He just needed time to think what.

The lift was nearing the bottom. "What about men? Our forces are near broken, Stannis just refuses to accept that. We came to your aid. Stannis did and now he needs you."

Jon was becoming irritated by the persistance. We don't have enough men to make any difference."

"The Wildlings will make a difference!" Ser Davos's tone grew harsher with every word Jon spat back at him.

"The Wildlings will never fight for Stannis. I've told you him before- "

"You saved their bloody lives! If they're gonna live in the seven kingdoms, safe behind our wall, they ought to fight for the damn place!"

"It's not their fight!" The lift stopped and the three of them exited the lift.

"If I could," Grenn interjected, feeling if this continued any longer, swords would be drawn, "The Night's Watch did owe Stannis a debt when he came to our rescue, but that debt was repaid by the sharing of our resources to him. The Watch is sworn to take no part in the wars of men and we violated that vow when Stannis housed his army here."

Before anyone could continue, they all heard a commotion at the gates. They opened and the Priestess Melisandre rode through on a horse. Her face stricken with grief as they approached.

Jon hurried over, in need of knowing what happened. He did not like Stannis at all, but he hated the Boltons. "Stannis?" Jon asked.

Melisandre hardly looked at him, her gaze fixed on the ground beneath her, full of shame.

Before she could walk away, Ser Davos stopped her in her tracks. "Shireen, the princess?" All it took was one look from Melisandre to tell him what he begged was not true.

She walked away from them as Jon approached Ser Davos. He placed a hand on the knight's houlder, thinking it would comfort him. "I'm sorry."

"She was just a girl," Ser Davos croaked. "She was just a girl and they killed her."

It was horrible to think that the Boltons would do such a thing and it made Jon worry for Sansa even more.

"Come on. You need a drink."

"No, but I want one."

Ser Davos followed Jon back to his office, but when they entered, he broke from his sadness and became utterly shocked when he saw two pairs of dragon eyes watching them enter.

"What in fuckin hells- where did you get dragons?" He was frozen in place.

"They were left to us as eggs by maester Aemon. But we hatched them without knowing we were." Jon told him as he retrieved some horns of ale. "Sam, could you go get us something to drink?"

Sam perked his head up. "What would you like?"

"Whatever's strongest." Edd helped Ser Davos walk into the room and closed the door behind him. "Don't tell Melissandre," Jon ordered. "I don't want here spouting any nonsense about the dragons being related to the Lord of Light or something like that."

"The way she looked, I don't think she would even care," Ser Davos said.

The sun was almost setting and the torches of Castle Black were being lit. Ser Davos and Melisandre were given their old rooms until they could decide where to go. Melisandre had been shutting herself in, not accepting any food or drink.

Sam and Gilly were settled in their wagon ready to leave for Oldtown. Jon, Edd, and Grenn each stood next to the seat on Sam's side.

"You know at the Citadel they'll make you swear off women, right?" Jon reminded Sam.

"They can bloody well try." Sam's words left his mouth without him even thinking. Next to him, Gilly turned a light shade of red at his comment.

"Sam," Jon said, undeniably proud of his brother.

"What?" Sam had an innocent yet cocky look about him. The look of a man who knew where to put it.

"SAM." Jon and Sam both laughed shortly before embracing their arms.

Edd stepped up as it was his turn to say farewell. "Next time we see you, you'll have one of those fancy chains. And if they read half as good as you, your chain better be unliftable." Edd embraced Sam's arm and then let Grenn take his turn.

"Well Sam, if you ever get tired of reading about White Walkers, try looking into dragons." Grenn shook hands with Sam and at the same time slipped a note to him. Sam eyed him curiously but said nothing.

The three of them watched as Sam whipped the reigns and departed from Castle Black. After Sam was gone, Jon spoke up to Grenn. "I know you just got back, but would you be willing to return to Essos for me?"

Grenn was shocked when he heard Jon's request. "What for?"

"I want you to take the dragons out of the North and give them to Daenerys Targaryen. She understands more about dragons than I ever will and they don't belong here."

Edd was equally surprised as Grenn was. "Jon, they need you. You can't abandon them."

"I have no idea what to do with them! Let's say I did raise them. Once they begin to fly and breathe fire, how do I stop them from burning a whole forest down? How do I stop them from attacking innocent lives?"

Edd and Grenn both looked at each other, realizing that there was truth to what Jon said. Grenn hadn't spent much time with the dragons as the others, but he felt an attachment to them.

"Alright." Jon looked at him, surprised at his quick response. "But I have one condition." Jon was puzzled. "When they're ready to come back, you have to be the one to get them. It doesn't matter what vows you took or what you keep telling yourself. They're your daughters, and you are their father."

Jon couldn't help but be angry with him. He never asked for them, but it seemed he had no choice. "Very well." Jon motioned to the other wagon that was used at Castle Black. Inside the back of it were two very large cages, built in case the dragons grow even more. "You'll leave in about two hours. Get your arms, gear, and get some rations from Hobb. I'll get Ygris and Lyarras into their cages." Grenn nodded and made his way to the barracks.

Edd walked with Jon to his solar. "Are you sure about this?"

Jon stopped walked and turned towards Edd. "No, but it's the best I can think of."

"I didn't want you to bring the Wildlings south, I knew it was the right thing to do, but I didn't want to accept it. I don't know much about dragons or even a small piece of what Sam knows, but I can't help feeling that this isn't going to end well."

Jon resumed walking to his solar. "When have things ever ended well?"

It took about an hour to get the dragons loaded into their cages. By the time Grenn was ready to leave, Jon found himself with the dragons rather than Grenn. Ygris and Lyarras both looked at him with their mystical eyes. In truth, he didn't want them to leave. His denial was just a façade to mask his fear. "I'm sorry. I truly am, but you're not safe in the North. If the White Walkers come… I couldn't bear to see you killed." The wagon wobbled as Grenn climbed on board. "This isn't goodbye, I will see you two again."

Jon left the dragons to their cages and approached Grenn. "Am I correct to assume that the only thing you're looking forward to is getting out of the cold?"

Grenn chuckled a bit when he heard that. "There is one more thing I'm looking forward to."

Jon smiled and pulled out a sealed scroll. "This is for Queen Daenerys, details of how and why she's receiving two more dragons. Be sure she gets it." Grenn nodded as he took the scroll and he said his farewell. Jon pulled a large covering over the cages as to hide them from prying eyes. Grenn whipped his reigns and left the gates of Castle Black and headed for Eastwatch.

The stars had already begun to appear and Jon still had much work to do as Lord Commander. He found himself back in his solar at his desk going through various raven scrolls. All of them replies to his requests for men to man the Wall, and all of them rejecting his requests. He had been awake for hours until he finally read his last scroll. "Seven hells…" he sank into his chair and thought about taking a break.

Without warning, Olly burst through his door. "Lord Commander! It's one of the Wildlings you brought back. Says he knows your uncle Benjen. Says he's still alive."

Jon's fatigue left him and he was at full attention. He shot up from his seat, his drowsiness completely gone. "Are you sure he's talking about Benjen?"

"Said he was First Ranger." Jon rushed from his desk and out his door. "Said he knows where to find him."

Jon made his way down some steps to be met by Ser Alliser in the training yard. "The man says he saw your uncle at Hardhome the last full moon." They both walked towards a gathering of brothers surround the Wildling.

"Could be lying."

"Could be, there are ways to find out." If Ser Alliser meant torture, Jon was at a point that he might actually do it to find his uncle.

"Where is he?"

"Over there." Jon pushed past his brothers only to see that there was no Wildling, but only a sign that read: TRAITOR. He turned around and without warning, was stabbed with a dagger in his chest by Ser Alliser. "For the watch." He pulled his blade out of Jon and stepped back.

Jon didn't have time to cough up blood when some of the men that gathered around him stabbed his body while muttering the same thing. "For the watch."

By the fifth stab, Jon was on his knees, his breathing was heavy and ragged. His body was growing cold and weak. The men parted and Olly stepped forward, holding a dagger. Jon looked at him with desperation in his eyes, pleading that he wouldn't do as the others have done. He could see that Olly was scared, but it was turning to anger. "Olly," Jon rasped.

Olly thrust his blade directly into Jon's heart and pierced it deep. He pulled it out and muttered the same words as the others. "For the watch." There was a look of satisfaction in Olly's eyes, like getting revenge.

Jon fell backward into the snow, the cold embracing him faster than the cold darkness.