Island Hopping Pt. 1

It took the combined forces around ten days to reach the Last Hearth, as there had been more men than horses, their marches slowed down quite a bit. The freed women prisoners had taken to travel near Jon, they even tried to make their sleeping arrangements near about where Jon had laid his bedroll. They claimed that they feel much safer being around the White Wolf. His cheeks had been perpetually red throughout the entire journey. The Karstark brothers had made it to a game about who could render Jon spluttering and imitating a shy maid with his blushing the first thing in the morning. Even Lord Robbet and the Smalljon didn't leave a chance to take a shot at Jon. Worse of them was Asher Forrester, the second day when he saw the young women flocking to Jon, he got down to his knees and proclaimed Jon to be his master and offered him his firstborn if he would take him as his disciple and teach him his ways. The entire contingent was having a good laugh at the expense of the White Wolf.

About a day out from the Last Hearth, Robbet had gathered the young lords and Jon and asked for their opinions about how to proceed with Olaff. It was suggested that they should stuff him in a sack and let everybody believe that they had killed off the raiding party in its entirety. That way, they could throw off any spies that might be present at the Keep. They took separate ways and went about directing the men about their plans. Lords Glover and Umber went to their men respectively to warn them, while the Karstarks, Asher and Jon came to the freed prisoners. They had decided to let Jon do the talking as they would be much more agreeable to the White Wolf. So, at much snickering of Torrhen and Asher, Jon approached the group.

"If I could have your attention, please…"

The women were sitting bundled together around a campfire. They had just received their nightly ration. Seeing Jon, they all got up hastily and curtsied to him.

"Yes, milord?"

Jon shook his head, "I am no lord…"

The women didn't show any inclination to his claim, they just kept staring at the ground, although, the blushing of their cheeks were very much noticeable even in the firelight. Sound of snickering could be heard from behind, Jon sent a glare at the culprits. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Regardless, what I am about to tell you is of much import. I urge you to heed my words and act accordingly when we reach the Umber keep on the morrow…"

Jon explained to them what they were to say about the raiding party and the subsequent battle with them if anybody to ask them. He iterated the importance of the mummer's farce and how the safety of the whole North could be centred on that. The women appeared to be drinking in his words as if words of the Gods and nodded their acceptance reverently when he asked them. Jon sighed again and took his leave of them. The snickering had turned to howls of laughter by now.

"I hate you all!" Jon's mutterings were like kindling to the fire, the boys had leaned on to each other laughing their collective heads off.

*Line Break*

They had sent an outrider to warn the Greatjon off, the party were received among applauds and cheers when they entered the keep of the Last Hearth. The Greatjon slapped on his son's back hard enough to send any normal man to the ground, he boomed his welcome to the Glover men. After dispersing the men and ordering the servants to take care of the freed prisoners, the lords and Jon had gathered in Lord Umber's solar, Smalljon had carried a big sack on his shoulder into the room, his father and uncles looked at him askance, he just nodded towards the server serving them platters of food.

"That will be all." Lord Umber commanded the man, he bowed his head and left the room. Smalljon closed and barred the door.

"Now tell me, what the fuck is in that sack?"

Smalljon opened the sack a little and showed everyone the gagged face of Olaff, he had numerous bruises on his face as the men had taken a few shots at him on the way back. The lords all sat straight in their seats.

"What in the name of seven fucking hells is going on?" Growled Greatjon.

Lord Robbet motioned to Jon, "Why don't you tell them, Lad? It was your theory."

Jon nodded and took a deep breath. He then told them about all of his observations, about how the Skagosi had attacked a day of celebration when all of Karhold men were ill-prepared to fend off the attack. How their investigation had led them to the Last Hearth and finally to the pass around Last Lake to the Wolfswood where they fought off the raiding party; how he fought against both the brothers, Borg and Olaff and what Olaff revealed during their fight. Jon also told about the suspicious nature of how the raiders divided into two groups and attacked Karhold and Deepwood Motte simultaneously but completely avoided the Last Hearth in between the said keeps. Finally, he reached the part where they all decided to bring Olaff, one of the leaders of the raiding party back with them so they can interrogate him.

Hothor Umber was very eager to carry out the interrogation. It was said that he went to the Citadel to become a Maester but some incident which included whores brought an end to that. He didn't earn his links but earned the nickname 'Whoresbane' instead. Both he and Smalljon took Olaff to a secluded room to have a quiet discussion.

[CotW]

The massive conspiracy they'd unearthed by questioning Olaff was truly frightening. The new leader of the Skagosi clans, or Magner as they are called, Gustoff was as ambitious as ruthless and cunning. He had sent his men to infiltrate the houses of North to learn about any weaknesses they have or any important dates that they can exploit. They had learned that the leadership of Bear Island is currently in a disorderly state when Lord Mormont's son, Ser Jorah Mormont, had absconded for the crime of selling poachers to the slavers from Essos. The Old Bear, Jeor Mormont, had abdicated his rule to his sister, Lady Meage and left for the Wall to take the Black in shame for his son's deeds. The Skagosi thought this was the perfect time to attack and take control of the Island. That way, they would have strong bases on both coasts of the North. Afterwards, they would launch a joint invasion from these strongholds, first, they would attack the houses around Winterfell which would already be in disarray by the Wildling attacks that, in reality, these Skagosis would have caused, and when the Starks had sent out men to help their vassal lords, they would either attack the castle as it would be in a weakened state by not having enough manpower to fend off the attack, or their inside man would cause some kind of disruption inside to engage the remaining force and let the invaders inside the keep and attack the already distracted and diminished men. Once, Winterfell is captured, the rest of the strongholds like the Dreadfort were an only matter of time, and they would have the entire North under their reign. They had already smuggled a huge number of men discreetly to the North taking advantage of the land's sparse population and scores of empty lands and dense forests, they have divided into smaller groups and hidden in the vast forest of the Wolfswood. Their current whereabouts were unknown to everyone, even to Magner Gustoff. The invading force was the first part of the conspiracy; one band were to attack the Karhold in the darkness of the night on the day of the nameday celebration of the Lord's daughter. Their mission was to attack and kill as many unprepared Karstark men as possible and kill or carry off the Lady of the house and/or the Lord's daughter to further disrupt their activities. The other band were to go as far westward as they could and cause disturbance in the guise of Wildling attacks. They were ordered to lure the chasing men into the Wolfswood and upon reaching near the Last Lake, one small group would have broken off the main party and led the pursuing men in a wild chase in the middle of the forest. While the main party would reach the Last Hearth unmolested and sneak into the castle under the cover of the night to again kill men and causing a disturbance, also to carry off Sara Umber, daughter of Mors and flee to the north of the Wall by way of one of the deserted castles along the Wall, and from there, rendezvous back at Skagos.

The Lords present at the Hearth were shaken to their cores by what they had learned. Mors had gone into a towering rage and had beaten Olaff to death when he heard about the plan of abducting his daughter. All the concerned parties had confined themselves in the Lord's solar for further planning. It appeared that it was only Jon's presence that had quashed the first phase of the Skagosi conspiracy. The lords had decided that sending ravens would prove futile as they don't yet know the identities of the infiltrated men. And they also couldn't launch an attack at Skagos while leaving their backs and homes exposed when it was confirmed that there were a large number of Skagosi invaders present in the North. The only thing they were sure about was the hidden Skagosi would launch an attack at Bear Island within a year. They had a timeframe to be prepared for its counter. It was decided that since ravens were useless, the lords, especially Lord Stark would have to be told in person. They planned for the Karstarks and Jon to return to Karhold and warn Lord Rickard about everything they had learned and the subsequent plans. While the Lord and the elder brothers remained there to prepare the men, Jon and Torrhen would continue to Winterfell under the guise of Jon going home for a visit. They would alert Lord Bolton at the Dreadfort on their way to Winterfell. From there, they would continue to White Harbour, for a visit to Robb Stark, and would board a ship from there bound for Bear Island for the nameday celebration of little Lyanna Mormont. A small contingent of Karstark and Stark men will go with them for the protection of the Lords' sons.

Meanwhile, Smalljon and Hothor Umber will lead a force directly towards Bear Island and make a hidden camp in the woods on the banks of the Bay of Ice. They would wait there for fishing boats from the Motte to ferry them across the bay. The Glovers will bolster their defences and would send additional forces with the Umbers.

They had a rudimentary plan of action for the first six months of their restricted timeframe. Any changes thereafter would have to be made after the lords become aware of the situation and veteran commanders like Lords Stark and Bolton would direct them by trusted men as messengers who would ride between the castles.

[CotW]

A fortnight later, after the initial preparations, the Karstarks and Jon were getting ready to leave for Karhold, when Jon saw Asher in the yard also preparing his horse. They had become quite close during their stay at the Last Hearth. Being of the same age and experiencing the horror of the battlefield tend to bring people close. Thus, Jon, Torrhen and Asher became fast friends. Seeing Asher also getting ready to leave while Lord Robbet was yet to depart for the Motte puzzled Jon.

"What are you doing, Asher?"

"I am coming with you, of course," Asher replied with a cocky smirk.

"What do you mean, you are coming with us?"

Asher came beside Jon and slung an arm across his shoulder, "Didn't I tell you? Lord Robbet and I had sent letters to my father and Lords Glover and Karstark to change my fosterage from Deepwood Motte to Karhold…and seeing how I became the best friend with the famous White Wolf, they had agreed with it. So, here I am, getting ready to be on death-defying journeys with my best friend." He dramatically laid his head on Jon's shoulder.

Irritated, Jon shoved him away, "Fuck you, Forrester!"

"Nah, unlike you, I prefer women."

The Karstark brothers were laughing at the duo's antics. Jon narrowed his gaze at Asher, then he smirked evilly and turned to Torrhen, "You know Torrhen, it would be boring without any challenge when we leave Harrion and Eddard behind. I was wondering how to practice my Karstark Holds only with you. Now it seems we have a willing candidate with us."

Torrhen too had an equally evil smirk on his face. Seeing that, Asher gulped nervously and was wondering if it was the right idea to change his fosterage.

*Line Break*

Their return to Karhold sparked a rather funny reunion sight, due to Gale screeching somewhat fierce and pecking Jon within an inch of his death. He had a hard time calming her down, after much cajoling and promise of a boatload of bacon strips finally made Gale sit quietly but imperiously on his shoulder. It seemed to him that the bird had become even haughtier under Alys' influence during his absence.

As expected, Lord Rickard too sat dumbfounded by the enormity of the Skagosi schemes. He had agreed with the initial planning and provided to it by sending riders to Dreadfort and Winterfell. He didn't say anything to the messengers, only telling Lord Bolton to expect a delegation and Lord Stark to expect his son for a short visit. He kept Harrion and Jon back and send the others away to take retire for the night. After their departure, he approached Jon and hugged him tightly.

"I can't offer you enough gratitude for saving my wife and daughter. If I didn't say it before, I am saying it now – The decision of fostering you was the best one I've made in my life. You have not only saved my family, but you have also saved the lives of my men. You are truly Godsend for us. Karhold is forever in your debt, anything you ever need, you'll only have to ask. This my heir and I swear on the honour of being a Karstark!" Harrion nodded fervently along with his father's words.

Jon was shocked, the things he had craved most of his life, affection and acceptance, were offered to him freely at Karhold. Except for Robb and Arya, and sometimes his Uncle Ned, he never truly felt accepted as a member of a family. Bran and Rickon didn't count as they were yet to become wise with the way of the world, and Sansa plain confused him with her alternatively warm and cold behaviours. He pulled back from the embrace and said –

"You will never have to thank me, My Lord. Coming here under your care had been more rewarding for me than you know. I have gained another father figure in you who had patiently taught me how to become a true Northman. I have gained three more brothers in Harrion, Eddard and Torrhen. Brothers to have fun with, fight with, and stand shoulder to shoulder in battle. I have another little sister in Alys to dote on…and above all else, I have finally felt like what it was to have a mother. I have never known my own, but whenever I thought of a mother's love, I had come to imagine Lady Anya after my time here. Where ever life takes me, whatever may I become, I will always remember her as the mother who had raised me."

Lord Rickard had a proud smile on his face hearing Jon's heartfelt response. Harrion slapped his shoulder affectionately as they took their leaves.

[CotW]

The next day, a tearful Lady Anya had hunted Jon down and hugged him tightly to her chest. She combed his hair with her fingers and placed a loving kiss on his forehead. Jon had a mile-wide smile on his face throughout the day after that.

Alys had found another victim for her crush in form of Asher. She had taken to following him everywhere and stare at him with puppy dog eyes and ran away blushing whenever he asked her something. Jon and Torrhen had fun luring Asher to places where he could bump into her. They had howled with laughter even after what seemed like the hundredth time Alys squeaked and ran away from him. Both of them had threatened the howling duo with dire consequences, but they only stopped when Alys had let Gale at them. The bird was very affectionate with Alys and listens to her second only to Jon. She would even peck Jon at her command if Alys provided her with enough bacon.

It was decided that Jon, Torrhen and Asher would go with twenty-five Karstark men, their first stop was to be the Dreadfort. They would spend a night there, or near about there they would make camp. Neither of them wanted to spend a moment longer there than they absolutely had to. The infamy of the Leech Lord was known by all. Afterwards, they were to ride hard for Winterfell. They needed time to be on their side. Within a week they were ready to leave. Harrion and Eddard were already out, discreetly gathering their bannermen. Lord Rickard, Lady Anya and Alys came down to the yard to bid them farewell. All three of them had newly forged swords on their belts. Jon had his trusty dagger and the axe, which he had named Freedom, also hung on his belt. They were looking sharp in their house colours, reversed for Jon. He had a snarling white direwolf resplendent on his chest, a new gift from Lady Anya to her unofficial fourth son. Lord Rickard nodded at them in approval.

"You all know how to behave out there. Never forget your lessons and don't bring shame to your houses." He approached Jon and laid a hand on his shoulder, whispering so that none could overhear his words, "You know what is at stake, I wish you success in your mission. May the Old Gods watch over you." He clasped Asher's shoulder next and went on to hug Torrhen goodbye.

Lady Anya was already in tears, "It's a shame that you are leaving again only returning after so long. Take care of yourselves and each other. Do not act foolishly. I'll know if you do." All three nodded in response, even though Asher didn't spend that much time in Karhold, he too was taken to the Lady's gentle, loving behaviour, and always strived hard to not disappoint her.

Alys reluctantly passed Gale over to Jon and hugged her brothers goodbye. Then she shyly approached Asher and offered him a silken ribbon as her favour. Asher was gobsmacked by that act so much that he couldn't decide what to say. He offered Alys a smile that was more like a grimace and glared venomously at the snickering duo beside him.

They got up on their horses and rode out of the castle with their twenty-five guards. Their destination, the Dreadfort.

*Line Break*

The Dreadfort cast a fearful shadow on its surrounding area. The Red Kings of the old had erected the castle to strike fear among their subjects. Guards could be seen patrolling the battlements in between the pointed shapes that decorated along the walls made of red stones. Jon thought it would be folly to expect the castle will fall to any outside attacks as their party approached the huge gates made out of iron.

"Ho, riders! State your business." A shout came down from atop the gatehouse.

The captain of the guards trotted forward, "We are the delegation from Karhold. Our Lord had sent missive for Lord Bolton. The Lord's son, Lord Torrhen Karstark is here along with the wards, Lord Asher Forrester of Ironwrath and Jon Snow of Winterfell."

"Await there while we send a message for our Lord."

A short while later the gates opened and let the party inside. Pink banners depicting red flayed man on a cross fluttered everywhere. The guards stood alert and the staff scurried along doing their duties. An edgy atmosphere seemed to hang about the castle. A man who seemed to be the master-at-arms ushered them towards the Lord's solar. Jon noticed that the passages appeared to be gloomy, contributing further to the notoriety of the Red Kings and the current Lord of the castle.

Roose Bolton had the appearance of a man suffering from lack of blood, his pale skin and dead eyes looked as if he just got up from his sickbed. If Jon hadn't heard about the Lord before, he would've thought Lord Bolton to be dying. They bowed as the cold gaze of the Lord assessed the three in front of him. In a whispering voice, he asked –

"What did the Lord Karstark think urgent enough that he sent advance notice of his son's visit but couldn't say it by a raven?"

Receiving a nudge from Jon, Torrhen gulped and took a step forward, "Pardon me, My Lord, but the information we carry is indeed quite urgent. Our Lord had drilled into us to let his missive only seen by you." He took out a rolled parchment sealed by the Karstark seal and handed it over to Lord Bolton.

Jon watched the man closely as he read the message. He was very impressed by the Lord's cerebral control as he read through the entire message, only a raised eyebrow was any indication for outward emotion. He looked up from the message and peered at the three, he motioned for them to take seats.

"Dire news indeed. Tell me of your encounters, don't leave anything out."

Torrhen, with bits of help from Jon, recited the entire incident to Lord Bolton. The Lord clasped his hands together and rested his chin atop them. He didn't utter a word throughout their delivery, he just kept looking at them in a very cold and calculating way that unnerved them greatly.

When they finished, he gave a small nod and leaned back in his chair rubbing his shaved chin. He turned his cold gaze towards Jon and whispered, "So, it seems the North is in debt of the famous White Wolf for his actions."

Jon looked down, "I was just performing my duties, My Lord, as any Northman would do."

Lord Bolton nodded, "I will order rooms to be prepared for you if you seek rest and sustenance."

Torrhen took a look at Jon and Asher, all three of them were already at their wit's end by the atmosphere of the castle and demeanour of its lord. "We thank you for your generosity, My Lord. But I am afraid that we must decline. As you surely understood, our Lord had ordered us to make haste for Winterfell and warn Lord Stark. We need to cover as much ground as we could till the daylight lingers."

The Lord nodded, "Very well then, be on your way. Tell Lord Stark that I await his instruction."

They bowed to the Lord and hastily took their leave.

[CotW]

After a quiet and long ride away from Dreadfort, Asher was the first to break the tensed silence save for the hoofbeats.

"What the fuck was that? I almost shat in my breeches!"

Jon chuckled, "That was the Leech Lord of the Dreadfort for you. He always unnerved me whenever he visited Winterfell."

Torrhen shuddered, "Mother used to tell us stories of the Red Kings when we were younger. I always thought she made those up to scare us into behaving. Now, after seeing the castle, I am starting to have my doubts."

They made their way a little further and stopped to put up camp for the night.

*Line Break*

At the crack of the dawn the next morning, after breaking their fast, the Karhold party broke their camp. Jon just saddled his horse when suddenly he got an alert.

Ping!

Quest Alert!

Plan your journey through the Weeping Waters.

Reward: ?

He was puzzled by the abruptness of this current quest. Normally they gave a goal or a reason, never had he saw such a vague mission given by the Champion's system. He wondered how he could deviate their way towards the Weeping Waters.

"Let us go through the village near Weeping Waters."

Torrhen looked at him, "Okay, why?"

"We could restock the feed for our horses in the village. And I don't know about you lot, but I would quite welcome a fish or two for supper this night instead of the usual dried, salted meat and blocks of cheese."

They looked at Halder, captain of the guards for his opinion. Halder rubbed his chin and replied, "That would take us off from our path for just a little bit. Then again, since we didn't stop at the Dreadfort, we do need to restock the feeds, but we are a bit ahead of our schedule. Me think it won't hurt to go through the Weeping Waters…and the Wolf is right, my tongue sure wants to taste anything other than meat and cheese now."

As decided, they turned their horses towards the Weeping Waters.

[CotW]

By mid-morning, they had finished purchasing feeds for the horses and freshly caught fish from the local village. They crossed the horses at a shallow point of the river to the opposite bank to take one of Hunter's Paths along the woods. It would be a relatively straighter way to Winterfell.

They had made a little advance through Hunter's Path when a woman's scream stopped them in their tracks. Jon narrowed his eyes and turned to the others.

"Let's go and have a look, shall we?"

They got down from their horses and tethered them to nearby trees. They moved fast on foot as quietly as possible through the dense forest towards the screaming. Soon, they came across a clearing with a small, muddy, knee-deep millpond, the screaming could be heard approaching them from the opposite side, Jon signalled the men to take cover behind the trees and hide. Only Jon, Torrhen, Asher, Halder and two more guards remained standing out in the open.

The screamer came tumbling through under bushes into the clearing. It was a young girl, of about ten and four, but she was completely in the nude, numerous bleeding scratch marks bore throughout her body, which she got from running through the woods. Seeing them, the girl made a sudden stop and crashed on all four, she tried to scramble up on her feet but managed to fall again. She crawled backwards from them babbling incoherently with a look of utter terror on her face. Suddenly, her eyes caught on the wolf insignia on Jon's shirt, her eyes went wide and letting out a wail, she launched herself at Jon's feet.

"You are the White Wolf! Please, save me, milord! Don't let him catch me!"

Jon took the cloak off his shoulder and wrapped it around the girl, he tried to calm her down and coax some answer out of her, but she wasn't in a state to say anything, she kept wailing about some pursuers. They could hear the baying of dogs in the distance. Jon lifted the girl in his arms and carried her to the edge of the clearing and set her down under a tree. Then he returned to his position and readied his bow, everyone else had spread out and done the same. Gale sent him images of an approaching horde of dogs and a small group of men behind them. Soon, half a dozen dogs came charging into the clearing, frothing in their mouths, Jon and his men didn't waste any time and shot them down as soon as they came into view. Hoofbeats could be heard not too far away from the dogs.

A group of ten men on horseback entered the clearing. They had mismatched sets of armour on, one of them had flowers in his hair and was constantly swatting off flies. The leader of these men appeared to be the young man with blotchy, pink skin, who sat slouching on his horse in the middle. He took a glance around and focused his gaze on Halder, thinking him to be the leader of the small group.

"You have killed my bitches and intruded in my hunt. Reek, what should we do with these annoying bastards?"

The man with flowers gave a very disturbing smile, "Give their skins to Reek, milord, Reek needs a new mattress in his pigsty."

Hearing their voices, the girl let out a loud whimper. The leader seemed to be thrilled hearing the girl, he sat straight and a vicious smile painted on his wide, wormy lips.

"Ah, you also have my other bitch captured. No matter, I'll discipline her and fuck her on top of your corpses for leading my precious girls to you." He signalled for his men to charge the six men down.

Time seemed to again slow down for Jon, he let out a shrill whistle to signal the hidden men, he shot once, twice and two of the riders fell from their horses, the others also tried to shoot, but only Asher landed his arrow on the mark. Jon dropped his bow and took out Freedom and the dagger. He threw the dagger and it ended up hilt-deep in the left eye of the man named Reek. It was now six on six, but six men on horseback against six on foot. The leader became enraged by the death of Reek, he took out a falchion from his scabbard and yelled out.

By that time, the men came out from their hiding spot and had surrounded them. Seeing the additional men, the leader tried to turn his horse around and escape. But Jon was onto him. He grabbed the man by his free hand and yanked him down from his horse in the muddy water.

The man came up spitting out water. He still had a cruel smile stretched on his face, showing his uneven teeth. "I know you, you are the Bastard of Winterfell. The peasants think you to be some hero from the old times. But you are not a hero, are you, bastard? You are just a little boy playing a hero. I'll have your skin, bastard. This is my land, those were my precious girls you killed. You even took Reek away from me. I will wear your skin for that, bastard."

Jon didn't reply, the red haze of bloodlust was in his eyes. The only thing running through his mind was the man in front of him was a rapist, he loved to hunt young girls like animals and raped them, Jon hated rapists.

The man started to hack at him with his falchion. He had an unorthodox style as if he never had any formal education in arms. He just kept swinging and hacking away with the falchion. Jon dodged and weaved through his attacks, his Wolfblood was at a boiling point, kept in check by the Champion's mind. Soon enough, the man put in a little more force in his backhand swing that left his torso open, and Jon heaved a mighty kick at his unprotected midsection. As the man crashed on the ground hard, Jon leapt up and landed on the downed man with his right knee impacting on his chest, now it was time for him to hack. Freedom sang through the air and the man's right arm was hacked off from his shoulder. Jon dropped the axe and started to pummel at the man. He didn't know how long he was beating the man up, but Halder's voice cut through the red haze.

"That's enough, Wolf."

Jon stayed his hand and looked down on the bloody pulp that was the face of the leader. He looked around to find the rest of the bandit group were all finished off. He got up and grabbed the leader by his neck and made him kneel. His head hung low, blood and spittle dribbled down his chin.

"What should we do with him?" Halder put forth his question.

"Get the girl here, mayhaps she could tell us more about him."

Torrhen and Halder went to the girl and after much coaxing made her come forward. She took one look at the leader and started whimpering, she stepped closer to Jon. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her away from the leader, he spoke to her in a soothing voice.

"Hey, hey, look at me."

The girl looked up with fearful teary eyes.

"He can't hurt you anymore now, alright? You are safe. You don't need to be afraid of him anymore. Do you understand?"

She nodded timidly.

"Can you tell us anything about him? How did you end up here?"

The gist of what the girl said to them in between stammers and sobs was that the man was called Bastard of the Weeping Waters. The villagers didn't know his real name. He lived at the end of the village with his men. He whipped and beat any man that dared to cross his path. He was never seen alone without the one called Reek, who was even more disturbing than his master. The man quite literally reeked of foul smell. Often, the villagers would found young girls missing from the village. They did suspect the man of doing so, but nobody dared to say that to him. The girl had come into the woods to gather firewood when she came upon the group. They captured her and kept her tied up all night. The man kept telling her that he had a feeling that she would become his new favourite bitch. They didn't torture her but kept her awake through the night. In the morning he stripped her and told her to run, promising that if she provided him with a good chase he would reward her. She had been running through the forest when she came upon Jon and his group. She feared that the missing girls were also used for his 'hunt' but didn't survive to tell the tale.

Every man there gripped their weapons hard by the end of the girls telling, each wanted to finish the man off. Torrhen spoke out –

"What shall we do with him?"

"We are still in the Bolton lands, mayhaps we should bring him to Lord Bolton -"

At this, the man started to laugh through laboured breaths.

"You don't get it, do you? You with all your fancy clothing and steel swords, fooling everybody. But under the skin, you are the same, there is no secret hidden there." He looked up and peered at Jon, "You and I, we are the same, bastard. Do you know that? We are doing what our fathers are afraid to do. Isn't that right, bastard? We are carrying out our -"

His ranting was cut short by a blade separating his head from his body. Everybody looked up shocked at Asher who was cleaning his bloody sword nonchalantly on the leader's clothing. He looked up feeling everyone's gaze at him.

"What? His voice was starting to grate on my nerves." He shrugged his shoulder.

Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let us clean up all this mess, shall we?"

In the end, it was decided that four men would be sent back to the Dreadfort escorting the girl. They would also take the heads of the leader and Reek with them. There at the castle, they will present the girl to Lord Bolton and would tell him about the depravity that had been going on in his lands. Later the men will ride hard and join them at Winterfell.

Before leaving, the girl grasped Jon's hand, "You are truly a great hero, milord. The songs are right about you. The Old Gods have sent you to protect us all." She gave him a shy smile.

The rest of them also got up on their horses and continued on the way to Winterfell. After a few minutes, Asher suddenly yelled out.

"Wait a moment, did she say songs? There are songs about Jon? Well, well, well…that is very interesting!"

"Fuck you, Forrester!"

"Love you too, Snow!"

The men chuckled at the bantering duo.

Ping!

Quest Complete!

You have gotten rid of a sick animal and protected the North and its people from his sickness.

Reward: Title – Protector of the North

+50 Hunting

+50 Tracking

+50 Exp

.

Ping!

Level Up!

You have reached Level 4!

*Line Break*

Jon felt reinvigorated when the castle of Winterfell came into view. It had been almost three years since he had seen the castle. He urged his horse faster onwards. The guards on the wall had seen them coming and had the gate opened. The party trotted into the yard amidst loud whispers.

"It's Jon Snow!"

"Snow is back!"

"It's the White Wolf!"

His uncle and cousins were waiting for him in the yard. As soon as Jon got down from his horse, he was tackled to the ground by Arya, Bran and Rickon. Their combined laughter rang out through the yard. Jon got up carrying the three and tried to place them back on the ground. But Arya had latched herself to his side.

"How have you two been?"

Bran excitedly started to ramble on, "We were good, Jon! We have all heard about your fights! Did you really kill the big bear that is hanging in the Great Hall? I have been training with Ser Rodrick, but he doesn't allow me to spar with him like you or Robb! Will train with me, Jon?"

Jon chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Easy there, little pup. I'll listen to all you have to say, but first let me say my greetings to father, alright?" Bran nodded enthusiastically. He placed a kiss on both his and Rickon's forehead.

Jon got down to his knees and finally managed to pry Arya off of him. "And how have you been, little sister? Hey, are you crying?"

Arya snapped back at him, "I am not crying, stupid!" She discreetly tried to wipe her eyes on her sleeve.

Jon chuckled and hugged her close to him.

He got up and approached Ned. "My Lord." He bowed to him.

Ned grabbed him in a tight embrace, "Welcome home, son."

Jon introduced Lord Stark with Torrhen and Asher. Then he approached Sansa, who smiled shyly at him.

"My lady." Jon bowed to her and placed a kiss on her hand.

Sansa gave him a pleased smile, "Welcome home, Jon." He nodded at her.

He also greeted Lady Ella and Wynafryd Manderly who was standing beside them, fluttering her eyes at Jon. At the last, Jon reached Cley Cerwyn. They hugged each other and slapped on the back like long lost brothers.

"It's good to see you again, Cley."

"Aye, Jon, 'tis good to see you."

Lady Catelyn wasn't present, and Jon didn't expect her to be either.

After greeting them, Ned said to Torrhen and Asher that rooms had been readied for them. He turned to Jon and said –

"Your rooms are also cleaned and ready for you, Jon. Go and take some rest."

"Forgive me, My Lord, but we really need to speak before doing anything else."

Lord Stark immediately became sombre, he nodded his head and indicated them to follow him. Before going into the keep, Jon whistled loudly, a screech came in reply and then, Gale swooped down and landed on Jon's shoulder. He continued with the regal-looking bird sitting atop his shoulder among the awestruck looks of everyone.

[CotW]

Ned sat at his desk rubbing his temple. The letters from Lords Umber and Karstark laid open on his desk. He could feel a headache settling in. Skagos swore vassalage to the Starks, albeit grudgingly. Now it seemed that they were once again ready to rebel. He had to take decisive actions as the Lord Paramount and Warden of the North. His Lords expect him to take up charges. He peered at the three boys sitting in front of him. Not boys, no, they are young men. They have already proven their mettle in battles and had drenched their blades in blood. The fosterage proved to be a boon for Jon. He appeared to be taller, leaner and powerful. Well, the proof of his strength and courage was currently hanging on the wall of his Hall. That bear was a monstrosity. He had watched the three closely as they gave their report. The close friendship that they had developed didn't escape his eyes. They appeared to be as close as brothers. Almost like himself and Robert in their younger days. That brought back another thought to Ned. Jon had called him uncle when he left for Karhold. How did he know? What did he know? He needed to confront him soon. But right now, he needed a goblet of ale. The headache had settled in. He sent the boys off to their rooms to wash and rest before the feast that evening. He needed to think.

[CotW]

The feast that night was a raucous affair. Jon was regaling his cousins about the misadventures he had gone on with Torrhen. How they pulled pranks on Harrion and Eddard, or how they had lured Alys onto Asher just a few days prior. Asher too had his revenge, he had let know all and sundry how maidens everywhere followed Jon around, but the brave White Wolf had turned tail and seek for shelter in the safety of his rooms.

Jon could see the grim visage of his uncle, and narrowed eyes and pursed lips of Lady Catelyn. He could understand why his uncle appeared so serious. And Lady Stark…well, he wouldn't mar his happiness of reuniting with his cousins by thinking about her.

[CotW]

Jon had waited for the night to grow quieter. Around midnight, he sneaked out of his room and made his way to the Crypts under the cover of darkness. He had lit a torch at the entrance of the Crypt and went to his mother's tomb. He placed the torch in a bracket and sat down leaning on the wall behind.

"Hello, Mother. I have come back, although for a very short time. I need to go away again very soon…"

He told the statue of Lyanna Stark all about his adventures. How he had killed a huge bear, how he had defended Karhold or rescued prisoners from a terrible fate. How he had stopped a sick man on his way to Winterfell. He told her about the residents of Karhold, Torrhen, Lord Rickard, Harrion, Eddard, Alys…and Lady Anya. He told her about the loving ways of the Lady. How she had shown him affection, soothed his pain and how he had come to see her as another mother of him. He begged forgiveness from Lyanna for that. He told her about the impending danger that was about to fall on the entire North and how he was trying to prevent that. He promised her that he will introduce her to Gale and bring back winter roses the next time he had the chance.

Jon was about ready to leave when he heard shuffling footsteps approaching him. He hurriedly got up to his feet and looked around the entrance, but the footsteps came from behind him, he turned around to find Ned Stark coming out from behind the tomb of Brandon Stark. Jon let out a defeated sigh and slid back down on the ground.

"How long have you been hiding there?"

Ned sat down beside him. "Since you came down here."

"So you have heard everything?"

"Aye, I did."

Jon nodded. They continued to sit in silence.

"When did you find out? How did you find out?"

"You remember confining me to my rooms for yelling at you?" Ned nodded, "I pursued Maester Luwin to lend me books to read for the duration of my punishment. He gave me books on recent histories and I read through every single one of them."

Ned raised an eyebrow, he was impressed, that was not a very small feat for someone at the age of ten.

"And…?" He prompted Jon to continue.

"And I found out that everyone in the entire seven kingdoms is fucking idiot."

He received a cuff at the back of his head.

"Language!"

"Sorry."

Silence lingered on.

"Well, what did you find out?"

"I found out several glaring inconsistencies throughout the entirety of the rebellion. Things that everybody knew, but when you put them together, they didn't make any senses…and after everything was over, you arrived at the Capitol with her body and a newborn babe in your arms claiming him as your bastard. Nobody even raised the question of how did an honourable man like you wandered off your marriage bed and fathered a bastard. Nobody asked how exactly she died. That's why I called them all idiot."

Ned sighed, he didn't know what to reply. Jon continued with his speech.

"I had made a few notes, they were scattered on my desk when suddenly a gust of wind blew them apart. A few of them landed into the burning hearth." Jon got up and raised his hand towards the lit torch, "unthinking I shoved my hand into the fire to save my notes."

Ned had jumped to his feet when Jon put his hand into the flame of the torch. He tried to snatch his hand back but stopped himself seeing the still unblemished hand amid the flame. He sighed and sat back down muttering.

"Fucking dragons!"

"Language!"

They looked at each other incredulously and roared in laughter.

They sat in silence for a while. Then Jon asked –

"I am not really a bastard, am I?" He knew these answers, still, he wanted to hear them from his uncle.

Ned sighed, "No, you are not. They were married. They married at the Isle of Faces in front of a Heart Tree and a Septon. They were married in both of their religions."

"And Princess Elia…?"

"Targaryens were known to take more than one wife. Your father had decided to take a second wife and had chosen your mother."

Jon's eyes went wide at that piece of information.

Ned scowled, "Understand that, I never had any idea about all of these. I only came to know about them when I talked to your mother at Dorne and after reading the letters between all three of them."

"There are letters?" Jon asked eagerly.

"Aye, I will give them to you later. There are also some things for you left behind by your father."

Jon nodded his head. Ned looked back at Lyanna's face and sighed again.

"Princess Elia had suffered complications giving birth to your half-sister, Rheanys. She couldn't conceive after that."

Jon was shocked – What about Aegon then?

Ned nodded his head, "I know what you are thinking, what about Aegon. It was some plan concocted by your father Rheager and Queen Rhealla. Elia stayed at Dragonstone for a year and they had smuggled in an orphan boy with Valyrian features to claim him to be the son of Rheager. The Mad King was already after Elia. They tried to protect her by creating this ruse. It was Elia who convinced your father to take a second wife to secure his place as the Crown Prince."

Ned got up and touched Lyanna's cheek. "She never agreed to the betrothal with Robert. She claimed that a man who already had a bastard and is known to frequent whore-houses will never be faithful to her. I never listened to her. I wanted Robert to become my brother for true so much that I ignored my sister. I argued for his favour, said he will change. But I saw the man having whores in his arms during the battles he incited to reclaim his ladylove." He shook his head and turned to Jon.

"Do you know that your father had sent a message for parley? Aye, right before the battle of Trident. I was so wroth that I rejected his offer, saying we will only meet on the battlefield. Now, I think if I went to that meeting, mayhaps both your parents would've been alive today."

The silence stretched on.

"I think you did the right thing. For all you know, that could've been a ruse for your capture and then forcing your banners to surrender their arms. You were at the opposing ends of a war after all."

Ned offered him a pained smile.

"Could you tell me my real name?"

"Your father wanted to name you Aegon, as the conqueror. But after learning about the fate of that orphan boy, your mother named you Aemon, after the famous Dragonknight, also after your father's favourite uncle."

"His favourite uncle?"

"Aye, his Great Granduncle or something like that. The current Maester at Castle Black, Maester Aemon. He was born Aemon Targaryen. They were said to be very close, frequently exchanged letters between them."

"I have another uncle at the wall?" Jon's voice was full of wonderment.

Ned chuckled and ruffled his hair. For all of Jon's maturity, he was still a boy. "Aye, you do. Now come on, let us get back to our rooms and find sleep for the rest of the night. Oh, and you are to come to my solar around afternoon on the morrow. I'll give you the letters I mentioned and the things your fathers left for you."

Jon nodded and got to his feet. He took one last look at his mother's face and call out to Ned.

"My Lord…Uncle?"

"Yes, son?"

"Mayhaps my sire was a different man, but I knew you to be my father since my childhood. You have raised me, educated me. You will always be the father I will know, for my own was taken from me even before my birth. You and Lord Rickard are the only father figures for me who had invested time in rearing me. Him, I can count as a favourite uncle, like Uncle Benjen…but you, you will be my father only."

Ned's eyes misted over, he hugged Jon tightly. "You'll always be my son too, Aemon!"

Jon shook his head, "Jon for now uncle, I have yet to earn that name."

"Aye, 'tis a big burden to carry a name that great."

They walked together to exit the Crypt.

"You do understand to keep all of this a secret, don't you?"

"Aye, I know the circumstances that made you claim me as your bastard. But I think you should tell Robb, he is your heir, he has a right to know."

Ned nodded, "Aye, I will tell him after we deal with the invaders."

He frowned at Jon when he muttered under his breath.

"What is it, Jon?"

He quietly replied, "I think you should also tell about it to Lady Catelyn, I could do with a little affection in my mother's home."

Ned sighed and nodded his head. After a few paces, he asked again –

"You were saying something about inconsistencies about the Rebellion?"

"Aye, I still have the notes I made. I'll give them to you in the morrow. But we need not think about them at this time. One conspiracy at a time is easier to handle, don't you think?"

They chuckled and went on their way.