Chapter 21: Come Back and Play

4th Month of 298 A.C. Winterfell

Jon/ Aegon

The dreams were growing more and more prominent. It seemed that every time he closed his eyes he could see something. It was a different dream every night, or most nights at least. He did not know why this was happening, but it seemed as though there was some reason behind them. One dream, was that of a man and two women, they were siblings he thought, they were close but there was some tension between them as well. The pressure of having such power as they did it seemed meant they often argued, one of the women loved the man dearly, and he her, but it seemed that there was something else as well, the other woman was jealous of them, angry of their love whilst she felt nothing. A curse had been put upon her brother and sister, and forever they would always meet and always fall for one another only to be separated, he could hear the screams, and the worry of their last encounter, he never knew what they said to one another, but he always felt a tad sad when he saw them together. He could see that they would break with one another, and it seemed that they knew each other sometimes, and other times they did not. His heart broke for them over and over again, and his heart ached for the woman he cared for, but she did not care for him, she had made that quite clear.

There were other dreams as well, of war, blood, and chaos, there was so much blood in this dream. The lands were barren covered in ice, and its heart there was a man who was seemingly pulling the strings of them all, poking and prodding them toward something, something terrifying. It seemed that the man was taking his revenge for something or the other, making them break and fall apart, there was something within the man, he had been pure once, but now it seemed that he was not. There was an evil within him, a deep desire to see hurt and pain. Jon feared this man, but Aegon did not, Aegon despised him. The man was a coward, and someone who might well break from his own mind, but it seemed the man wanted something, was looking for something, what this thing was, he did not know, but it was clearly quite important to the man, for he was sending out his own servants to find it. Then the dream would change, and there was fire, fire leaning across the land, there was only light, no darkness everything had gone out of sync it seemed, and there was a woman, with fire in her blood singing the song of the world. A smile played on her lips, and there was something else as well, some other dark desire within her that was hidden behind some thing or the other. It was not pure this thing that she wanted. Children were suffering under her song, one in particular, and he felt anger grow within him at that.

All of these thoughts haunted him at night, and during the day there was a feeling within him that he could not quite explain. Ever since he had found out the truth about who he was, he felt as if he had changed. He felt angry, very angry that he was not sitting on his throne that he was instead having to remain in Winterfell. He wanted to do something, anything to get his throne, to make sure that there was something right about the world. He did not want to be sitting within Winterfell, gossiping like an old fisherwoman, but alas here he was. He listens as the boys throw jokes around deciding he might as well pay attention now. "So Theon what is this I hear about you and Wylla sneaking around and doing things behind the gardens?" Robb asks.

There is a pearl of laughter and Jon looks and sees Theon blushing slightly. "We were just going to talk to one another. Finding somewhere where we could go and talk in quiet. There is not enough space sometimes you know."

"Going to talk eh?" Robb says his voice disbelieving. "So you weren't going to do anything else then?"

Theon stutters then. "No, gods no Robb. I wouldn't do that to Wylla not at all."

"What makes her different then eh Theon?" Jon asks, a teasing note to his voice. "What makes her special?"

Theon looks at him a moment and then says seriously. "She… I do not know how to explain it, but she is different to the other girls I've had a thing for. She, she is special. I don't know what more to say."

There is a moment's silence then as they all think about that, Jon is surprised, for as long as he can remember, Theon has never taken anything seriously, and now this. Well it certainly is a nice change. "Well that is good, just make sure you don't do anything stupid Theon, after all Robb is her Goodbrother. We would not want something bad happening eh?" Jon japes.

There is some more laughter at that, and Robb grins whilst Theon blushes some more. "Well wouldn't that be something eh? Then we would actually be brothers after a fashion." Robb says.

"Aye that we would." Theon responds smiling.

For some reason he cannot quite explain, that makes Jon feel slightly angry. He looks at Theon and then looks away, his thoughts drifting, but then coming back when Theon says something. "We were walking through the godswood the other day, when we heard something."

"What did you hear?" Robb asks, Jon is intrigued.

"We heard Domeric speaking to someone. It seemed as if he was speaking with some urgency." Theon responds looking concerned.

"When was this?" Robb asks.

"Around two or three days ago." Theon says.

"I thought Domeric had left for the Dreadfort then?" Jon asks, looking at his cousin.

"Aye he did." Robb says. "Are you sure it was Domeric?"

"Aye, I am." Theon responds. "It sounded like him, and when I leant around the tree to get a better look it was him. He looked worried."

"Can you remember what he was talking about, and who to?" Robb asks intently.

Jon looks at his cousin and he knows his cousin is wondering whether or not this has to do with the person who was pretending to be Jojen Reed. Eventually Theon speaks. "He was talking about how whatever had happened, had happened too soon. How the girl had gone off the plan and how she had done it too soon. And he said that being abandoned was not the thing he wanted. He wanted more time, he was asking for more time."

A silence falls on the group then, as they think about what Theon has said, there can be no doubting who it is that Domeric was speaking about. The girl who caused a scene before the usurper and the court, she must have some connection to Domeric. Eventually, Smalljon speaks. "What do you think that means?"

"Clearly he is planning something else." Jon says. "It is evident that there is more to this than meets the eye, and it seems Domeric is at the heart of it." Looking at Robb then, he says. "Perhaps we were wrong to rule him out of our suspicions."

Robb shakes his head. "Nothing we have found suggests that he has any malicious intent. We might be making something out of nothing here."

"Or perhaps there is something here." Beron Mormont says. "Perhaps Domeric is doing something he should not be doing. You saw how pale he went during the feast when that girl stood up and spoke. What if that was something that was meant to happen later?"

"When though?" Jon asks. "When else could such a thing happen? If they were planning something, one could argue that they left it far too late and that it has made little impact. The girl died shortly after doing what she did."

His cousin looks slightly concerned then. "Well if I remember correctly, the girl was supposed to be aiding the queen in sorting out some last minute arrangements before she left for the south. Of course, that didn't happen. But perhaps she was meant to do whatever it was she had been tasked with doing on that day."

Another silence falls on them then, as they consider this option. Jon wonders what Domeric has gotten himself into, clearly there is something going on here, some game that is far too intricate for them to figure out immediately. Theon breaks the silence. "He mentioned eggs as well I think. Something about there being little time to get eggs out."

Jon goes cold then, there are only four eggs within Winterfell and they all belong to him. He glances at Ser Arthur and the man nods turning and walking out of the room. "Did this other person he was with ever speak?" he asks.

Theon goes silent then thinking. He then nods. "Aye, once or twice. Merely to say that Domeric was running out of time and that things were moving whether or not he had them in order. That soon enough the truth would come out and that he had better be prepared for when it did."

"Were you seen?" Jon asks.

Theon shakes his head. "No, we hid behind the trees, but Domeric was really shaken up by what happened, and when the figure disappeared, he stood there before the heart tree for some time before he too left."

Jon looks at his cousin and wonders what this might be, they've had their suspicions about Domeric for some time, him being a Bolton, and it was only natural that they would think over such a thing. Now that this has been said, well perhaps they were right to be suspicious. Beron speaks then. "Well, whatever it is, we shall soon know. From the sounds of it Domeric is coming close to snapping. Perhaps the time will come when he might well just snap and then it will happen."

"And gods know what will happen when that happens." Robb snaps. "I do not think things will be as easy as you seem to make them out to be Beron. Domeric is clever, as is his father, if there is something going on, you can be certain that Roose Bolton has a hand in it as well."

"How has old Roose been responding toward the overtures of building that fort?" Eddard Karstark asks.

Robb frowns then. "Badly. I think, he thinks that I am impeding on his rights. Given that I am not my father and am merely acting as the Stark in Winterfell, I think that he is not taking my authority seriously."

"Perhaps you should show him you mean it then?" Torrhen Karstark says.

"How?" Robb questions. "How do I do that without provoking some sort of harsh response?"

"Well it is simple isn't it?" Aegon says then. "He is surrounded, Manderly on one side, Hornwood on another, and Karstark on another. I am sure if they are given the right incentive, they can make moves to ensure he does as he is told."

Robb considers this a moment and then says. "That is true, though I do not want to make thing worse without first being give due to cause to act. Right now he has done nothing but complain, he has acted on the instructions to some extent, but he has not stopped and protested. The moment he stops I shall act."

Aegon nods his head then. "That is good. At least then you have the right reasons for attacking. That might well be important come the time."

Daryn Hornwood the heir to Hornwood, and a lad who does not speak that often speaks then. "There are rumours coming from Hornwood that the bastard of Bolton still lives as well."

"What is causing these rumours?" Aegon asks.

Daryn looks at him a moment and then says. "There are sightings of dogs attacking women from the villages nearby and then the smell of hound. Smells only associated with Ramsay Snow."

"Snow is dead." Robb says firmly. "I saw his head myself when it was delivered to my father."

"Did you see him before that?" Daryn questions then.

A moment's silence and then Robb shakes his head. "I did not know. But then, why would Roose Bolton defy my father on this and allow his bastard to live? Especially considering the order on his head?"

A moment's silence and then Daryn says. "Because there is some unusual connection between Bolton and his bastard. It seems as though Snow was Bolton writ miniature. I am sure we have all heard the tales of how Bolton came to power? It is a gruesome tale and one that we should not repeat here, it would not surprise me if Snow is of more value to Bolton than Domeric. They are the same, and as such are natural allies."

Thinking on all he has heard of Ramsay Snow, Aegon shakes his head then. "No, they are not. They are not natural allies. Ramsay Snow, if he is as you say just like his father, is a hindrance to Roose Bolton. A man like that, cold, mad and insane, would not be allowed to survive past birth, not if he were like his sire. That would be a threat to his father's power, and Roose loves his power. We all know that, for we all know how he came to power, no, if Ramsay Snow was kept alive, then he has been kept alive for a reason."

"What reason could that be?" Daryn asks.

Aegon looks at his cousin, and his cousin looks at him and they both nod silently to one another. Robb takes a breath and then says. "The Long Death."

A moment's silence and then Torrhen Karstark asks. "What is that?"

"It is the final clash between Stark and Bolton." Aegon says. "It was foretold long ago, when the realms were small, that there would come a time when the Starks and Boltons would fight one final battle against one another and that at the end only one house would remain."

"And you think Ramsay Snow was kept alive for this?" Daryn asks sounding sceptical.

"It would make sense if he were." Robb says. "He is a hunter, an animal, he is Rogar Bolton come again if the stories are true." His cousin pauses a moment and then looking at Daryn says. "Send word to your father, I want men patrolling Hornwood lands day and night. If they see something suspicious they are to send word immediately. And if they see Ramsay Snow, they are to kill him."

There is a brief moment of silence and then Daryn nods. Aegon turns to Smalljon then and asks him. "Has there been any more word from your father Jon? About the wildlings?"

The heir to Last Hearth is a big man, but a smart one. He looks at Aegon then. "There has been some. It seems that they are growing bolder, they are pushing past the defences of the watch, and are raiding further and further south. But they are not just raiding, they are looking for something as well. Asking people about this thing they are looking for, before they kill them."

Aegon looks at his cousin then, sees the same look of shock reflected in his face as must be on his own. He thought they had more time, more time to prepare, faintly the memory of a girl screaming run through his head, he grips Ghost's fur then tightly, trying to anchor himself to the present. "Did they say what they were looking for?" Robb asks.

"No." Jon responds. "It seems that they merely expect the people they are hurting and killing to know what they are looking for."

"How big are their numbers?" Torrhen Karstark asks.

"Around twenty or thirty in a party, no more than that, I think there might be some ten coming south from the wall, my father killed five of those parties with his own men, but I do not know if he will have enough to deal with more." Smalljon says.

"I will head up there myself should this continue. These wildlings need to be taught a firm lesson." Robb responds. "I cannot have them roaming around my lands, not whilst there are other things that must be done."

There is a murmur of agreement there, and then Beron speaks. "Do you think this Mance Rayder is trying to follow the example of Raymun Redbeard?"

"What in terms of dying?" Aegon japes.

"No, in terms of getting the northern lords distracted. My grandsire says there are hundreds of thousands of wildlings north of the wall, and they are fractured tribes, but it seems this Rayder fellow has been uniting them. Could it be that these raiding parties are just mere distractions meant to keep us occupied whilst the main party sneaks up from somewhere else?" Beron asks.

They all consider this then. "It is possible." Daryn says. "After all, Raymun did try something like that the first time he came calling, and it nearly worked, but he was defeated. So unless Mance has some other means of distracting us, then he too will fail."

"That is why he is asking about this thing, whatever it is. Or at least that is why his raiding parties are. They are trying to distract us from their main goal, which is to cross the wall." Aegon says then looking at his cousin.

"Aye, we have to focus on them and them alone." Robb responds nodding in agreement.

The door opens and Arthur walks in and leans down to whisper in Aegon's ear. "They are still there."

Aegon nods and then looks at his cousin and asks. "What do you think we should do?"

His cousin looks at him a look of determination on his face as he says. "I think it is time that we told our friends the truth… my prince."