Jon III
The boy squinted his eyes, as his father slammed the door closed harshly. He was certain that it had come slightly off its hinges and that part of the wood had splintered. So much was the shame of him that Ned was fuming in anger like never before. Ghost looked up in suspicion, so Jon went to him and pet away the direwolf fears at the same time as he thought himself to be an utter disgrace for disobeying his orders to stay in his room during the royal family stay. As such he could not raise his eyes from the floor, but he could hear the Lord of Winterfell pacing front and back while mumbling: -'Over my dead body…. this should never have happened…. I need to find a way…Bloody Kings landing.' Suddenly his father stopped in front of him in a halt and silence was made. Jon's eyes remained on the floor, but he could still feel the waves of anger coming of off Ned.
Firmly his father said: -'Look at me Jon, it does not do well for a Stark to be looking at the floor all the time. You should keep your head raised even when you bow.' As he raised his grey eyes to find his father matching ones, his heart filled up with joy. A Stark he had called him and Ned had yet to chastise him for his actions, which was a bit confusing for the young boy, so Jon demanded: -'Are you not angry, father?' The Lord Stark laughed loudly whilst responding: - 'I am beyond anger Jon. Anger does not cover what I feel at the moment. You disobeyed my order and now Robert wants to take you to Kings Landing.' Jon did not understand the matter, the king had liked him for some reason and he bore no offence, but his father was still mad. He mustered all his courage to defy the order: -'I understand that I am a bastard and that shames you, but I can not be locked in a room. If my presence displeases you so, give me leave to join the Night watch.'
He stared as his father shook his head in disagreement and said: -'That is not the point Jon. Get a warm coat and follow me; you and I are going night hunting right now.' Mesmerized at how quick his father turned his back to leave, Jon quickly grabbed a coat to trail his steps with his white direwolf close behind. The lord of the manor walked fast and with steady paces, but the young boy had no trouble catching up. Soon they were outside near the stables to be greeted by ser Rodrik Cassel and Maester Luwin. My lord they both say in unison and Ned responded with an order: -'Ser Rodrick, have two of our best horses prepared and be quick about it.' Both man looked at each other in confusion, however the elderly man is the first to speak: -'My Lord, what urgent matter you need to attend at the hour of the wolf?'
Jon too feels lost at the Stark's actions, but remains silent as his father retorts: -'A maester should not question his Lord, I feel like going out for a midnight chase with Jon that's all. Rodrick, why are you standing there like a fool? Go, make haste!' The old captain nods and runs to the stables as Maester Luwin continues his plead: -'I mean no disrespect, but this is too unusual of my lord. I served the castle of Winterfell and your family for so long, need I remind you that the King will miss you in the morning. And even if he does not, what must I tell Lady Catelyn when she finds you not in your marital bed tonight.' Even Jon could see that this night hunt was too out of character for Ned. Despite the king, his stepmother would be gnashing her teeth and wanting for his head on a plate by the time they got back from his late stroll his father had just planned.
The answer given by Lord Stark intrigued him further: -'Go now and warn my wife that I am out for a night hunt with my son, we will be back by morning.' The old man Luwin rubbed his chain and said: -'What of the King?' His farther ran the palm of his hand through the side of his head, an action that his brother Robb too seemed to mimic when he was stressed. Ned took a big breath and said: -'If you run into Robert, tell him me and Jon will meet him for lunch. And by all means keep him away from Kate.' Jon sighed, so this was really happening a night ride just him and father. He always dreamed of this, but something was off. There was some hidden agenda that Lord Stark was not telling him or anyone for that matter. They watched silently as Master Luwin left shaking his head negatively in resignation as he went. Before long Ser Rodrick Cassel was arriving with both their mares, Ned's and Robb's horses were the quickest ones in Winterfell.
Jon gulped and told his worries to his father: -'My Lord, if I take his horse my brother would be furious.' It was as if he did not speak, Ned was already mounting and saying: -'Be quick about it boy. It does not do well to disobey the Lord of Winterfell two times in a day.' He felt cornered with no way out as he stepped on the stirrup and raised himself to the mare., but with time the feeling of riding free into the night grabbed a hold of him. As the black stallion hooves hit the ground faster, Jon felt the frosty wind as it rushed through his cheeks and into his hair, making him slightly numb. It howled at his ear and made him fell alive as it numbed his skin. At his side his father galloped in earnest, but Robb's mare and Ghost had no trouble keeping up. The young Stark smiled and urged his horse onwards as if to win a non-existing race.
Looking up he could see innumerous stars that light up the night sky of the north, it was a beautiful clear night and he was glad to be out in the open. He looked back at his father and asked: -'What now, my lord?' Ned pointed out to a path in between the near by forest with his head, a couple of stags ran in between the trees to find cover. Jon slowed down his horse, took his bow and waited for his father. Ghost had stopped a little bit to the front and was now howling to the half moon, Jon himself felt like howling too. Lord Stark's horse came to a stop near the rim of the woods, where Ned quickly dismounted and tied its reins. As Jon did the same, he noticed his direwolf had run into the forest: -'Ghost' he mumbled, but dared not to scream for it would scare their prey. Eddard though noticed his concern and said softly: -'Stag first, come.'
They made no noise as they slipped throughout the paths in between the trees and roots to find the group of stags. Unlike his siblings, it was easy for Jon to remain silent. Sansa once had said that he was boring and silent just like the winter. She had meant to hurt him, but he took it as a compliment. Once too Lord Cassel had said to Robb that he sometimes should be as silent as Jon and that being silent was a good thing if one was planning a surprise attack. And such was the case Jon thought as he watched his father stealthily approach the preys and shoot one stag on the leg. It was time for him to prove himself, the young man thought as he pulled his own string and hit the belly of the stag. One more arrow from his father and the beast was down. Jon's chest swelled after Ned came to his direction and patted him on his shoulder, he had done good.
Lord Eddard went on to skin the animal and ordered Jon to gather some wood. He did what he was bid and started calling for his direwolf too: -'Ghost, Ghost!' Its displeased him when he was not near the direwolf, what if he was hurt Jon thought. He saw a trail in the mud floor and heard the sound of human breathing. Jon shook his head as if to clear the image, his heart running fast now. He hears a pair of shuffling leafs before he is attacked and thrown into the ground. It is Ghost, the winter wolf licks Jon's face at earnest and the young boy can not help but laughed: -'Hey, there boy. Easy, you found me already. You found me.' The boy is happy as he returns to his father side and so is Ghost by the smell of meat. In cue lord Stark throws a piece of meat to the direwolf, while Jon lays down the wood he gathered.
As soon as the fire is lit his lord father starts talking: -'I apologize for dragging you out here in the middle of the night, Jon. There was nothing else I could do.' The young stark nods at his father and says: -'No matter, I enjoy being out in the open. The castle sometimes feels too hot and constricting' He watches Ned shuffle around as if it is not comfortable to sit on the hard muddy floor. The young man it is startled by the next sentence of his father mouth: -'That is the problem, son. You are too much like her. Lyanna, my sister… I remember her saying something similar to me a long time ago. She was as wild as the North, I am glad that at least you are calmer.' Jon frowned at his father and responded: -'What's that got to do with anything?'
Lord Eddard sighed and answered: -'More than you know child'. Ned stood up and once again ran the palm of his hand through the side of his head leaving Jon uncomfortable, than he continued speaking: -'I was hopeful you would be older, when I told you who your mother was. Nonetheless, now Robert has seen you and not strangely wants to take you with him. I have no choice.' His father words confused him, yet excited him. So many questions… He would give up the answer of all of them just to know his name. And now he would, he could not contain his youth and said: -'Please, do speak her name. My lord knows not how much I dreamed of this day.' His father face seemed sad as he approached Jon and ruffled the kid's hair while saying: -'There, there you will have your truth soon enough. But first you must promise me you will not run away and from now on you will obey me. You caused much trouble running into the king already.'
His grey winter eyes were wide open with anticipation and he would promise anything to know, so standing up to meet his father gaze the boy vowed: -'My lord Father, I will not run away. I never meant to disobey you from the start.' Ned nodded at him, pulled his dagger out cut his hand and extended the bloodied hand with dagger to Jon. It disturbed him that his mother name was such secret that demanded blood vows, but just the same the kid cut his own hand and offered it in agreement. While they shook hands, Lord Eddard started speaking: -'Honor comes first to the Starks, you must never fail to keep a promise or else it would be the disgrace of our family. Now Jon, my sweet son, take a seat and I will tell you the story of your mother. Bear with me that it goes a long way back to a time where I myself was just a young man, just like you.'
Jon always loved the long stories that his father told to him and Robb. He could feel though that this was going to be a big story and it annoyed him much. He wanted to know her name and now was not too soon. However, he could not make his father angry, he had to obey so he sat and waited for the story to unfold. His father continued: -'My sister Lyanna, my brother Brandon and your favorite uncle Benjen and I were all at the tournament in Harrenhal, along with Robert that back then was like a brother to me much more than my own. We were so young and excited; we all had our whole lives ahead of us. Nervertheless, it was then that our lives began to turn sour. Lyanna's hand had been promised by your Grandfather for Robert Baratheon, but she loved him not. She was a wild lady wolf, hard to be tamed, yet in Harrenhal she found a match in Raeghar Targaryen.'
Frowning, the young stark objected: -'I know the story of how the war started, can we not start after then? And I thought Lyanna loved Robert and was abducted by the Targaryen prince.' His father laughed, got up and walked to the fire were the roasted deer meat smelled so sweet and smoky that it brought water to Jon's mouth. Ned cut a piece of meat and threw it on his direction. The boy caught it on mid air and grabbed a bite out of it. He had yet to have eaten and he supposed his father wanted him to shut up. This story was going to take forever. He ate silently and listened: -'Raeghar did kidnap my sister, but not without her consent. However, I would find this truth only later, the thing is the prince conquered her heart and she went with him. We were fools not to see. After the war was done and we were doomed, but I thought I could still find my sister and bring her home.'
His father sat once again leaning out in his sword, he touched his head to the blade, he looked tired and so human that it made Jon nervous. He was glad when Ned raised his head and started talking again: -'She was there at Dorne, in the tower of joy, guarded by three members of the Royal Guard. They fought to the death, but in the end only I and Howland remained. I was so tired when I climbed those steps, but, oh Jon, I was so happy. I think that since then I never been truly happy again. My childhood, my freedom and my family were all lost at that war. However, that is another issue the thing is when I entered Lyanna's room, she had just given birth and she was dying. By God…" His father stopped talking and rubbed his face forcibly, Jon pitied him and asked: -'I am sorry father, that you lost a sister and a nephew on the same day.'
Ned laughed like a madman and got up abruptly. Eddard scared Jon as he knelt by him and held the young man's head with both hands whilst saying: -'That is the thing Jon, the child did not die, but is sitting right here in front of me. My nephew is alive, I brought him home as my own to keep him safe from Robert's wrath. My nephew is you son!' Jon took Ned's hand of his face under protest and stumbled backwards, this was crazy. This could not be, his father truly had gone insane. He complained loudly against what he heard: -'This is madness. I am your son!' Lord Eddard stood over him and offered his hand to help the young man up, whilst saying: -'You are my son. I was the one to raise you…' Jon suspiciously takes his father's hand to stand. Did his father wit return he thinks, but his hopes soon dilute as the madness continues: - 'However, Your true father was Raeghar Targaryen and your mother Lyanna Stark.'
Jon forcibly takes his hand out of his fathers saying: -'This can not be, this is folly. My eyes are grey like the Starks and my hair isn't even white. There is no trace of Targaryen blood what so ever in me.' Ned shakes his head and responds: -'It is true, Starks genes run strong in you. This things happen, look at Robb there is not an ounce of a Northman's appearance in him, yet there is still Stark blood in him.' The young man can not dare to believe, his true mother and father dead and gone. And the one who raised him a liar… He would never meet them, and he was still a bastard. He rubbed his eyes and sat on the muddy floor by his direwolf. Ghost put his head on Jon's lap and looked up at him, as if shedding sympathy with its owner. And then Lord Stark continued speaking: -'You look just like Lyanna. When Robert saw you, he saw a glimpse of his long lost love. I told you to stay in you room because I dared not that he would see.'
The young boy sighed and looked up at his now uncle. This was non-sense, but then again he could remember the King's reaction, if it was true and he was Lady Lyanna and Raeghar's son…. His father took the words out of his mind: -'He would have killed you if he found out.' Jon looked up at his father and said: -'Why? Why would you disgrace your honor and raised me as your own, when you should have killed me in that tower.' Eddard approached him, put a hand upon his head and whispered: -'I made a promise to your mother to keep you safe.' The words for some reason warmed Jon's heart and he smiled as his now uncle continued: -'Robert wants me to take you to kingslanding, but it is too dangerous. I do not thrust the Lannisters, however I have a plan and you must bear with me Jon.'