John sighed as he stood in his father's study. He was here as his father had been forced to acknowledge him as his bastard son over five years ago now. This also meant that John's surname had changed from 'Snow' To 'Storm. So John Storm was his name now. His father was lord William Swann, now lord Swann wasn't in the line of succession to the holdfast and lands, but he was a knight. His father finally entered the room speaking as he did "John you are ten and you're nothing but a wild animal so I am going to send you away. You are going to Bear Island to squire for the mormonts. I hear that the she-bear Maege Mormont may have a use for you. I am sending you up there with a small escort. You will arrive at the twins and then the mormonts will take you from there. You will squire there until you are a man grown then you may do as you like." he looked at John with hateful eyes "And you will never come here again. Is that clear?"
John looked at the noble in front of him gently rubbing the hilt of the dagger he kept at his side the only keepsake from his mother "What is clear is I'm going home. Where the gods are old and the men are of a stronger stock, the women too. I'll pack my things and be on my way then." with that decided he stormed out of the room going to the small quarters that were his. They were incredibly small being as they had previously belonged to a servant. As he walked in he picked up a small leather badge that bore the sigil of House Umber. The Giant who had broken his chains. This was the house and sigil that his mother had belonged to. He put it up his sleeve where he usually kept it and began to pack his meager belongings.
As he packed and finished doing so a servant arrived holding a bundle in servant girl was of an age with John, and just like him she was base-born. Yet, she came from the reach so she was not a Storm. Instead she was a Flowers. Her whole name was Sierra Flowers and she was the only person in the castle of Stonehelm who John considered to be a friend. "Excuse me, mi lord, but Great Lord Swann wanted you to have this before you left."
John crossed the room and took the bundle from her. As he undid the twine and let the bundle unfurl he was surprised to see that the bundle was actually a fur-lined cloak made of heavy leather; clearly it was a gift meant to endure the hard cold of the north. He smiled as he put it around his shoulders very surprised that it was actually a bit big for him. With this little fact in the make it was clear that he was meant to grow into it so he would have it for a long time. He grabbed his trunk from the floor and hauled it out of his room "Tell Lord Swann I am grateful." he said to Sierra as he left. He carried his trunk outside to the caravan's wagon and loaded it up on his own. He walked over to his storm cloud grey stallion and mounted it. No sooner had he mounted than the knight who was going to lead them had them move out. It was clear he wanted to be rid of John as much as John wanted to put Stormhelm behind him for good.
The caravan rode in complete silence no one would talk to John and no one wanted to do so. John really didn't care he was happy just to get away from the storm lands and the vile lords who ruled it. The small caravan traveled the king's road by day only to stop at night to sleep. Their meals were eaten on the road and consisted of fruits, salted meats, bread, and cheese, with water for John to this particular pace it took the caravan only a short couple of days to reach the start of the Riverlands. They were passing Maidenpool as a minstrel had been so kind to report to John. This was a road that John had known as it was the same road he had traveled when going south five years earlier. He never thought he'd get to see it again after he left the north. He looked around at the lush landscape with a slightly annoyed face. None of it was very appealing to him, true it was green and it was nice land, but John had been born at the end of a northern winter and had spent his first years in a land of summer snows, and harshness; a land of great forests and weirwoods. The south in his eyes was full of nothing but fools who had forsaken the ancient powers that truly ruled in Westeros. He hadn't fallen in with these people whoever despite the lack of a heart tree. He prayed to the old gods carving a face into a great oak tree instead. This often got him beaten by the septon who found him doing this and praying to heathen gods. Still he kept his faith.
Now however he was heading home and he didn't want to wait. The traveling was brutal for him as at night he would simply stay awake and wish that they were already in the north so he could be around his gods, his lands, and in the presence of men and women who loved the strong regardless of birth.
The rest of the trip was uneventful as they arrived at the Twins within the week. As they neared it was a surprise to see a camp along the King's road. The tent was flying the sigil of the bear, under the Direwolf of house Stark. As the caravan drew near a scout appeared and approached them "Are you the Swans that are bringing the squire?"
The knight a member of the Swann family to begin with spoke "Aye. Here is John Storm, formerly John Snow. We are leaving him here." with that one of the men threw John's trunk off of the wagon and the caravan turned and left him without a goodbye or anything of the sort.